Passenger jet crashes shortly after takeoff in Kazakhstan, killing at least 15
MOSCOW — A passenger plane with 100 people on board crashed shortly after takeoff near Almaty airport in Kazakhstan on Friday, killing at least 15 people with more than 60 others taken to the hospital.
The Bek Air jet, a Fokker 100, hit a concrete fence before crashing into a two-story building, Kazakhstan’s Civil Aviation Committee said in a statement. All Bek Air flights and Fokker 100 aircraft in Kazakhstan were suspended from operations pending an investigation.
The flight took off at 7:22 a.m. local time and was en route to Kazakhstan’s capital, Nursultan. There was no fire at the crash site.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed condolences to the victims on Twitter, adding that a government commission has been created to investigate the crash.
“All those guilty will be severely punished in accordance with the law,” he wrote.
The head of the Alma-Ata Health Department, Tleukhan Abildaev, told reporters at the scene one victim died at the hospital. Of the 66 people brought to the hospital, 50 were hospitalized with 12 in serious condition, he said.