A passenger jet has crashed in Kazakhstan, killing at least 12 people but leaving dozens of survivors. The Bek Airplane 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 passengers and crew on board. Survivors described walking from the wreckage into the dark and snow. Dozens are being treated in hospital. The cause of the crash is unclear.A Reuters news agency reporter close to the scene said there was heavy fog at the time. The interior ministry initially said 15 people had been killed, but it later published a list of victims that mentioned only 12 dead.The Fokker 100 plane was carrying 95 passengers – including 8 children – as well as five crew, the interior ministry said. The Flightradar24 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-story building. There was no fire upon impact. Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar said the plane’s tail had scraped the runway twice during take-off, leaving marks.One survivor, businessman Aslan Nazaraliyev, told the BBC that the plane had begun vibrating violently. People screamed and the aircraft smashed into the ground.