Kazakhstan Grounds Bek Air Planes After Crash Kills at Least 12

Fokker 100 operated by budget carrier went down after takeoff
Domestic airline didn’t have IATA safety audit certification

The crash site of the Bek Air aircraft near Almaty on Dec. 27.Source: TASS via Getty Images

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By Naubet Bisenov, Nariman Gizitdinov, and Anurag Kotoky

December 27, 2019 at 3:37 AM UTC

Updated on

December 27, 2019 at 1:08 PM UTC

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At least a dozen people died after a plane crashed shortly after takeoff early Friday in southeastern Kazakhstan, leading local authorities to ground the rest of budget carrier Bek Air’s fleet.

The twin-turbofan Fokker 100 aircraft was carrying 98 people including five crew members, Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar said at a news conference in the former capital Almaty. Another 49 were injured, with 18 in serious condition.