Officials say Boeing 747 was attempting to land in fog when it ploughed through village, damaging dozens of buildings

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

A Turkish cargo jet has crashed near Kyrgyzstan’s Manas airport, 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 have said.

According to the airport’s 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 plane ploughed on for a few hundred metres through the Dachi Suu village, home to hundreds of families. It shattered into pieces and damaged dozens of buildings.

Plumes of smoke rose above the crash site, with some mudbrick buildings razed to the ground and others pierced by parts of the plane.

The torn-off tail assembly, rotated upside down, towered above a one-storey house. The area nearby was completely levelled and covered with twisted pieces of metal.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Emergency crews at the crash site. Photograph: Xinhua/Barcroft Images

Locals said they had thought at first the area had been struck by an earthquake.

“Around seven o’clock in the morning I heard a strong [noise] and after that all the nearest houses were shaken,” said Andrei Andreyev. “Of course, everyone got frightened and started to run out of the houses to the street.

“Nobody understood what was going on because there was a fog, the weather was not good.”

Initial estimates put the death toll from the crash at 37, according to Kyrgyzstan’s emergencies ministry. The Kyrgyz president, Almazbek Atambayev, announced that Tuesday would be a national day of mourning.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Rescue teams at the crash site. Photograph: Vladimir Pirogov/Reuters

Turkish Airlines said the cargo flight was operated by ACT Airlines and neither the aircraft nor the crew belonged to Turkish Airlines. ACT Airlines confirmed the Boeing 747-400 was its plane.

“Our TC-MCL signed plane, flying on Jan 16 from Hong Kong to Bishkek, crashed on landing at Bishkek at the end of the runway for an unknown reason,” ACT Airlines said in an emailed statement.

“More information will be disclosed concerning our four-person team when we get clear information.”