Kazakhstan: Baby pulled from wreckage after 12 killed in plane crash

A baby has been pulled from the wreckage of a plane after it crashed into a building in Kazakhstan, killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens more.

The Bek Air plane was carrying 93 passengers and five crew members when it took off from the airport in Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city.

It was bound for the country's capital Nur-Sultan, formerly known as Astana, when it crashed at 7.22am after losing height during take-off.

The aircraft hit a concrete fence just beyond the end of the runway and collided with the building - believed to be a house - in the village of Almerek, a statement from Almaty International Airport said.

As about 1,000 people worked at the crash site, one rescue worker was pictured carrying a baby wearing a white snowsuit out of the wreckage. It is not clear whether the child was alive.

There were two possible reasons for the crash - pilot error and technical failure, Kazakhstan's deputy prime minister Roman Sklyar said.

He added: "Before crashing, the aircraft touched the runway with its tail twice, the gear was retracted."

Fifty-four survivors were taken to hospital, including at least 10 who were in a critical condition, Kazakh authorities said.

Five children and three infants, all said to be conscious, are among those being treated in hospital.

A national day of mourning was declared by Kazakh President Kassym-Zhomart Tokaev.

The airport said there was no fire when the plane crashed and a rescue operation got under way immediately at the crash site which is covered in snow, in normal conditions for this time of year.

A Reuters journalist who was travelling to the airport soon after the crash said there was thick fog in the area.

The plane's fuselage could be seen split in two, with one half embedded in the building which was all but destroyed.

Government officials said the plane was de-iced before the flight but survivor Aslan Nazaraliyev said its wings were covered in ice, and passengers who used emergency exits over the wings were slipping and falling.

The businessman said the plane started shaking less than two minutes after take-off.

"At first the left wing jolted really hard, then the right. The plane continued to gain altitude, shaking quite severely, and then went down," he said.

Kazakh news website Informburo.kz confirmed its editor-in-chief Dana Kruglova, 35, died in the crash.

In a statement it said she was flying to her parents' home near Nur-Sultan to spend New Year's Eve with them.

Chief editor Mikhail Dorofeev said: "Dana Kruglova was a real journalist. Her articles resonated and she became an example for all the editorial staff.

"In January, Dana became a publishing editor, and on 1 December she headed the investigation department. Dana was honest, courageous and objective at the same time. This is a terrible loss for all of us."

A survivor told news website Tengrinews that she had heard a "terrifying sound" before the plane started losing altitude.

She added: "The plane was flying with a tilt.

"Everything was like in a movie: screaming, shouting, people crying."

The government has promised to pay families of the victims 4 million tenge (£8,022) each.

The Fokker-100 is a medium-sized plane which ceased production in 1997, a year after its manufacturers went bankrupt.

The government said the plane that crashed was 23 years old and its most recent flight certificate was issued this May.

Kazakhstan's aviation committee has suspended all flights by the aircraft type as it investigates the crash.

President Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev expressed condolences to the victims and their families, adding: "Those responsible will face tough punishment in accordance with the law."

In 2009, all Kazakh airlines - apart from flagship carrier Air Astana - were banned from operating in the European Union because they did not meet international safety standards. The ban was lifted in 2016.