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.