12 Dead, Dozens Survive Kazakhstan Plane Crash

By BBC

A passenger jet has crashed in Kazakhstan, killing at least 12 people but leaving dozens of survivors.

The Bek Air plane was flying from Almaty - Kazakhstan's largest city - to the capital Nur-Sultan when it smashed into a building just after take-off. The Fokker aircraft had 100 passenger and crew on board.

Survivors described walking from the wreckage into the dark and snow. About 60 are being treated in hospital. The cause of the crash is unclear.

A Reuters reporter close to the scene said there was heavy fog at the time. There has been conflicting information about the death toll. The interior ministry initially said 15 people had been killed, but it later published a list of victims that mentioned only 12 dead - including the captain.

The Fokker 100 plane was carrying 95 passengers - including eight children - as well as five crew, the interior ministry said. The Flightradar24 information website said the flight departed at 01:21 GMT, and "the last signal was received in that same minute".

The airport said the plane lost height at 07:22 local time (01:22 GMT), before striking a concrete barrier and crashing into a two-storey building. There was no fire upon impact.