Passenger plane crashes in Kazakhstan killing at least seven
- By Reuters -
- Dec 27, 2019
ALMATY: A plane with 100 passengers and five crew members on board crashed near the city of Almaty in Kazakhstan on Friday, killing at least seven people, aviation authorities in the Central Asian nation said.
The plane was heading for the capital, Nur-Sultan, and “lost altitude during takeoff and broke through a concrete fence” before hitting a small building, Kazakhstan’s Civil Aviation Committee said in a statement.
The accident took place at 7:22 a.m.
Bek Air Fokker 100 aircraft has crashed near Almatay, Kazakhstan, with 95 passengers and 5 crew onboard. Reports indicate that there are survivors. My prayers for the passengers and their families. 😥 pic.twitter.com/M95lyC1FJu
— Airplane Ben (@BenAirplane) December 27, 2019
“At the moment, the death toll is 7 people.”
The committee and Almaty airport said emergency services were working at the site to get survivors out.
The plane belonged to Kazakh carrier Bek Air, which operates a fleet of Fokker 100 jets. The aviation committee said it was suspending all flights of that type of aircraft pending an investigation.
“Those responsible will face tough punishment in accordance with the law,” Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev tweeted, expressing condolences to the victims and their families.