Turkish Cargo plane crashes near Kyrgyzstan airport

World Today

Turkish Cargo plane crashes near Kyrgyzstan airport

On Monday, a Turkish cargo plane crashed into a village near Kyrgyzstan’s main airport, killing four crew members and dozens of people on the ground. Most of them belong to a nearby village. 

CGTN’s Natalie Carney reports:

The Boeing 747, belonging to the Istanbul-based ACT Airlines, came down while attempting to land in thick fog at Manas airport near the Kyrgyz Capitol Bishkek.

At least 33 residents of Dacha-Suu, a village around 2 kilometers away from the airport, were killed.

The aircraft ploughed through houses and buildings then shattered into pieces before coming to a stop.

The plane was on route to Istanbul from Hong Kong, making a scheduled stopover in Bishkek.

More than 1,000 rescue workers were dispatched to help recover what they could from the smoldering wreckage in the snow-covered village.

Tents were set up to shelter survivors from temperatures hovering around minus 11 degrees Celsius.

Initial reports cited poor visibility due to fog as the likely cause of the crash, but Kyrgyz authorities are also looking at “pilot error.”

ACT Airlines, which operates under the name MyCargo Airlines, is part-owned by a Turkish investor and part by the Chinese tourism and aviation group HNA.

The cargo carrier said all necessary safety precautions were taken.

On Tuesday, Kyrgyzstan will observe a day of mourning. According to Kyrgyz media, Kyrgyzstan’s President was in China on an official visit to mark the 25th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Bishkek and Beijing. He has reportedly returned to Bishkek to assist with the aftermath of the deadly crash.