Turkish Cargo Plane Crashes in Kyrgyzstan, 37 Villagers Killed

The doomed plane damaged 15 buildings in the village of Manas in Kyrgyzstan. (Photo: Twitter @sarwanshokri)

A Turkish cargo jet crashed near Kyrgyzstan's Manas airport on Monday, killing at least 37 people, most of them residents of a village struck by the Boeing 747 as it tried to land in dense fog, Kyrgyz officials said.

According to the airport administration, the plane was supposed to make a stopover at Manas, near the capital city Bishkek, on its way from Hong Kong to Istanbul. It crashed when trying to land in poor visibility at 7:31 am (0131 GMT).

The doomed plane damaged 15 buildings in the village, said Mukhammed Svarov, head of crisis management centre at the emergencies ministry, adding that at least 37 people had been killed.

Kyrgyzstan's transport ministry said there were five people on board. Kyrgyz officials initially identified the Boeing 747-400 as belonging to Turkish Airlines, but Turkish cargo operator ACT Airlines said the jet was theirs.

“Our TC-MCL signed plane, flying on 16 January from Hong Kong to Bishkek, crashed on landing at Bishkek at the end of the runway for an unknown reason. More information will be disclosed concerning our four-person team when we get clear information.” ACT Airlines said in an emailed statement.

Our condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives in the tragic incident involving an ACT Airlines aircraft in Kyrgyzstan.

Turkish Airlines on its Twitter account