Kazakhstan plane crash: Bek Air plane comes down near Almaty airport
28-12-2019, 07:03

Font size: [ A+ ] / [ A- ]

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 100 aircraft had 93 passengers and five crew members 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 revised the number of victims down to 12.

Kazakhstan's aviation committee has suspended all Bek Air flights as well as those involving Fokker 100 aircraft pending the results of the investigation.

 

What's known about the crash?

 

The Flightradar24 information website said the flight departed at 07:21 (01:21 GMT), and "the last signal was received in that same minute".

The airport said the plane lost height at 07:22 before striking a concrete barrier and crashing into a two-storey 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.

He said part of the plane was crushed like "an aluminium can". He and others managed to get out and helped fellow passengers to safety.

"It was ugly. It was dark. We were lighting with cell phone lights," Mr Nazaraliyev said.

Another told news website Tengrinews she heard a "terrifying sound" before the plane started losing altitude.

"The plane was flying at a tilt. Everything was like in a movie: screaming, shouting, people crying," she said.

What of the victims?

Mr Sklyar said that most of the passengers who died or suffered serious injuries were in the front part of the plane.

Eight people died at the scene, two while being treated at the airport and two in hospital, AFP news agency reports.

Some 67 people were injured in the accident, nine of them children, the health ministry said. Forty-nine were still in hospital on Friday evening, of whom eight people were said to be in a critical condition.

Most of those on board were Kazakh citizens although Chinese, Kyrgyz and Ukrainian nationals were reportedly among the injured.

The captain has been confirmed as one of the fatalities.

The editor of the Informburo.kz website said one of its journalists, 35-year-old Dana Kruglova, was killed while flying to see her parents for New Year.

What's been the reaction?

A special commission will be set up to determine the cause of the crash.

Kazakhstan's President Qasym-Jomart Toqayev has declared a day of national mourning on Friday.

He expressed his "deep condolences" to relatives and said "all those responsible will be severely punished in accordance with the law".

He also ordered an audit of all Kazakh airlines.

Bek Air also expressed its condolences and said it was doing everything it could to clarify what happened.

Almaty's airport said it was operating normally and the flight schedule was unaffected.

Nur-Sultan - a city formerly known as Astana - was renamed after former-President Nursultan Nazarbayev shortly after he stood down in March.

 

What are the odds of surviving a plane crash?

 

A survey of crashes in the US between 1983 and 2000 found that 95% of aircraft occupants survived accidents, including 55% in the most serious incidents.

A study of crashes worldwide by the European Transport Safety Council has found that 90% are survivable.

Flying remains the safest way to travel. Your chances of being in a crash in the first place are vanishingly small.

In 2018 - an average year in terms of aircraft accidents - 514 people died worldwide in crashes involving commercial flights, from a total of more than four billion passengers.

What is known about Bek Air?

 

It was founded in 1999, initially targeting VIP flight operations, the company's website says.

Nowadays, the company describes itself as Kazakhstan's first low-cost airline.

Its fleet is made up of seven Fokker 100 aircraft. The aircraft in this crash received its most recent flight certificate in May.

 

  • Medium-sized twin-turbofan airliner, designed mainly for short-range flights
  • First flight in 1986 - 283 jets built in total
  • Production terminated in 1997 after Fokker, a Dutch manufacturer, went bankrupt
  • Maintenance division taken over by other aircraft services firms
  • Has been involved in two other serious crashes. A Palair Macedonian Airlines flight crashed after takeo-ff from Skopje, North Macedonia, in 1993, killing 83 of the 97 people on board. All 99 people on board a TAM flight died in a crash near São Paulo, Brazil, in 1996. Four others died on the ground.
Presentational grey line

This is not the first serious plane crash in the city.

On 29 January 2013, a passenger plane travelling from the northern town of Kokshetau came down near Almaty, killing 20 people.

A month earlier, 27 people died when a military plane carrying senior Kazakh security officials crashed in the south of the country.

 

BBC

 

Comments: 526
#406   Sherri
      
Very deѕcriptive post, I enjoyed that bit. Will
thеre be a part 2?

Havve a l᧐ok at my webpage وب سایت ایرانی; dvdcloob.ir,
22 April 2026 21:37
#405   Georgiana
      
Hello, i think that i sаw you visited my web site so i came to “return the favor”.І'm
trying to find thijgs to enhance my site!I suppoѕe its
okk to use a few of your ideas!!

Also visіt my page :: سایت اینترنت (Anitra)
22 April 2026 16:26
#404   Emelia
      
Ι every time usеd to study piece of writing in news papers but
now as I amm a user of internet therefore from now I am using net ffor
articles, tһanks tto web.

Here is my web-site: سایت دانشگاهی
22 April 2026 15:45
#403   Francesco
      
Thanks in favvⲟr of sshaгing such a good
opinion, article is good, thats why i have read it fully

Here is my page: اخبار ایران
22 April 2026 14:32
#402   Shanice
      
Yes! Finally something about بررسی امکانات یک سایت حرفه‌ای بازی انفجار.


Also visit my web site - سایت اخبار فوتبال (https://ircto.ir)
22 April 2026 11:01
#401   Daniela
      
Amаzing blog! Is your theme custom made oor did you download it from somewhere?
A thеme like yours with a few simple tweeks would гeally make my blog jumⲣ out.
Please let me know wwhere yyou got your design. Thankѕ a lot

my blog post - چگونه بهترین سایت بازی
انفجار را پیدا کنیم


Hoᴡdy vеry nice web site!! Man .. Beautiful .. Superb ..
I will bօokmark your web site and take the feeds aⅼso?
I'm glad to seek out a lot of usefuⅼ info heгe
within the publish, we want develop mοre tecһniquеs on tһis regard, thank
you for sharing. . . . . .

Аⅼso ѵisit my blog اخبار ورزشی ایران
21 April 2026 23:47
#400   Jon
      
Eccezionale casino online, prosegui il buon sforzo.

Apprezzo!
plinko italia
21 April 2026 22:17
#399   Christel
      
Someone essentially assist to make significantly
posts I'd state. This is the very first time I frequented your web page
and thus far? I surprised with the analysis you made to make this actual put up amazing.
Fantastic job!

Feel free to surf to my homepage - situs hiburan online
21 April 2026 21:17
#398   Roxie
      
Hello! I just want to give you a huge thumbs up for
your great info you have here on this post.
I am returning to your website for more soon.

my website - =%3Ca%20href=https://s.bea.sh/australia-post-pogo-login-74701%3Efree%20paypal%20
login%20with%20email%3C/a%3E%3Cmeta%20http-equiv=refresh%20content=0;url=https:/
/s.bea.sh/australia-post-pogo-login-74701%20/%3E]paypal.ch login
21 April 2026 18:21
#397   Lettie
      
Magnificent items from you, man. I have have accommodation in Paris france mind your stuff prior to and you're simply extremely excellent.
I actually like what you've obtained here, certainly like what you're stating and the way by which
you say it. You make it entertaining and you still care for to stay it sensible.
I cant wait to learn much more from you. That is actually a wonderful website.
20 April 2026 21:03
#396   Chastity
      
Quality content is the crucial to invite the users to pay a quick
visit the website, that's what this web pogo games sign in page is providing.
20 April 2026 16:42
#394   Yong
      
Hello there, just became alert to your blog through Google,
and found that it's truly informative. I'm going to watch out for brussels.

I'll be grateful if you continue this in future.
Many people will be benefited from your writing. Cheers!

Also visit my site ... Юридический аудит договоров
20 April 2026 01:25
#393   Johnnie
      
Hello my family member! I wish to say that this post
is awesome, great written and include almost all vital infos.
I would like to see more posts like this .


Look into my website; экскурсии для детей
19 April 2026 20:22
#392   Millard
      
I've learn several good stuff here. Certainly value bookmarking for revisiting.
I wonder how so much effort you set to make such a magnificent informative web site.


My website :: ufabet
19 April 2026 15:05
#391   Chauncey
      
Greetings! I've been following your blog for a long time
now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out from Atascocita Tx!
Just wanted to mention keep up the fantastic work!


My blog post :: =%3Ca%20href=https://rusteaco.ru/bitrix/rk.php%3Fgoto=https://sites.google.com/v
iew/club-pogo-login%3Epaypal%20sign%20in%20to%20my%20account%3C/a%3E%3Cmeta%20ht
tp-equiv=refresh%20content=0;url=https://rusteaco.ru/bitrix/rk.php%3Fgoto=https:
//sites.google.com/view/club-pogo-login%20/%3E]paypal login
19 April 2026 08:35
#390   Selma
      
The PowerBucks Wheel of Fortune Exotic Far East on-line slot is simply certainly one of a sequence of
comparable video games from IGT. Our favorites include the Wheel
of Fortune on Tour video slot, which units the action around the globe.



Here is my homepage ... ห้องเชือด
19 April 2026 08:14
#389   Sherrill
      
Whats սp very cool blog!! Man .. Eⲭcelⅼent ..

Suρerb .. I wіll bookmark your site and take the feeds also?
I'm happy to search out so many helpful info here within the put up, we
neeɗ work out extra techniques in thiѕ regard, tһank yyou for sharing.
. . . . .

Stop by my web page: بررسی سرعت و امنیت در سایت‌های بازی انفجار; https://myloleh.ir/,
19 April 2026 00:05
#388   Connie
      
What's up, this weekend is pleasant for me, because this occasion i am reading this great informative article here at
my house.

Also visit my webpage :: cm88 com
18 April 2026 22:39
#387   Tami
      
Ԍoood daʏy I amm sso еxcited I found your
web sitе, Ӏ rewaⅼly found yoou by accident,
while I was researching on Bing for somethingg elѕe, Anyhow I am here
now andd would jᥙst like to say thanks fοr a remarkable post and a
all roսnd enjoʏable blog (I also love the theme/desіgn), I don’t have tіme to go through it
all aat the minute but I ave book-mаrkedit and also incluԀed your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will ƅe back to read
more, Please do keep uр the awesome work.

Heгre is my site :: بررسی یک پلتفرم امن برایبازی انفجار آنلاین
(Carin)
18 April 2026 22:26
Add Comments

Name:*
E-Mail:
  Geo Keyboard  
 

Dear reader, guardian.ge welcomes your comments. Please express your views on topic and be respectful of others.

bold italic underline strike | align left centered align right | Ensert smilies insert linkInsert protected URL Choice the color | hidden text insert quote Convert selected text from transliteration to Cyrillic alphabet Insert spoiler

Code: *


Back1 ... 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 ... 27Next