At least 14 dead after passenger plane crashes in Kazakhstan, officials say

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Police and rescuers work on the site of a plane crash near Almaty International Airport, outside Almaty, Kazakhstan on Dec. 27, 2019. Copyright Emer Situations Ministry of the Republic of Kazakhstan via AP
By The Associated Press and Reuters with NBC News World News
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The Fokker-100 aircraft was heading for the capital and crashed shortly after takeoff. At least 35 people were injured, officials said.

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MOSCOW — A Kazakhstan plane with 100 people aboard crashed shortly after takeoff early Friday, killing at least 14 people while at least 35 others survived with injuries, officials in Almaty said.

The Bek Air aircraft hit a concrete fence and a two-story building after takeoff from Almaty International Airport. Officials said the plane lost attitude at 7:22 a.m.

In a statement on its Facebook page, the airport said there was no fire and a rescue operation got underway immediately following the crash.

The plane was flying to Nur-Sultan, the country's capital formerly known as Astana.

The aircraft was identified as a Fokker-100, a medium-sized, twin-turbofan jet airliner. The company manufacturing the aircraft went bankrupt in 1996 and the production of the Fokker-100 stopped the following year.

A Reuters reporter traveling to the airport said there was thick fog in the area.

The aviation committee said it was suspending all flights of that type of aircraft pending an investigation.

"Those responsible will face tough punishment in accordance with the law," Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev tweeted, expressing condolences to the victims and their families.

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