|
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: A passenger jet heading to Iran crashed shortly after takeoff near the Kyrgyz capital, killing at least 65 people, authorities said on Monday.
Tokon Mamitov, Kyrgyz presidential advisor, announced the revised death toll and said that most of the victims were Iranians, the Russian news agency Itar-tass reported.
Iran's Khabar news network reported on Monday that 44 Iranian passengers were among those killed in Sunday's crash.
Khabar quoted the Iranian embassy in Bishkek as saying that the names of the 44 Iranians would be announced soon and their bodies flown to Tehran.
Kyrgyzstan government spokeswoman Roza Daudova said that 24 Kyrgyz citizens, 52 Iranians, a Turk and Canadians were among the 90 people on board the ill-fated Itek Air jet.
Twenty-two people, including two crew members, survived the accident late on Sunday.
An airport official said the crew reported a technical problem about 10 minutes into the flight and that the plane was returning to the airport when it crashed.
Officials said the crash followed the sudden decompression of the jet, which came down in a field near a village. Police had cordoned off the crash site.
|
