Kazakhstan was in mourning on Saturday after at least
12 people were killed in a plane crash, with Interior Minister Yerlan
Turgumbayev promising a thorough investigation into the accident,
local media reported.
The probe is to look into the condition of the aircraft, while the
black box, containing key flight data, is to be brought to the
Russian capital, Moscow, to undergo assessment.
The Fokker 100 aircraft, operated by Kazakh airline Bek Air, lost
height shortly after take-off on Friday, crashing into a two-storey
residential building in Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city.
The plane was flying from Almaty to the capital, Nursultan, formerly
known as Astana.
Investigators are focussing on whether the accident was caused by
pilot error or a technical fault.
Most of the almost 100 people on board survived the crash, and many
were sent to hospital for treatment.
Deputy health minister Kamalzhan Nadyrov said doctors had been able
to stabilize some of the patients, with 42 now in a stable condition.
Seven people were severely injured, he said.
A day of national mourning was announced for Saturday.
The government
in the Central Asian country reportedly called on the media to
refrain from broadcasting all forms of entertainment that day.
In addition, authorities grounded all Fokker 100 planes in the
country, which is under authoritarian rule.
Bek Air was ordered to cease operations, with Kazakh media reporting
that a decision on whether it can resume flights will be taken on
January 10 at the earliest.
Four foreigners were on the plane - two from Ukraine, one from China
and one from Kyrgyzstan. They all survived the accident, according to
Kazakh authorities.
It was the worst plane crash in years in the oil-rich ex-Soviet
republic. Most recently, more than 20 people died there in crashes in
2012 and 2013.
Emergency personnel are seen at the site of a plane crash near Almaty yesterday
