Russian President expresses condolences over Kazakhstan plane crash

Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his condolences to Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev over the plane crash that took place this morning near Almaty, the Kremlin press service informed.

"Russia shares the grief of those who lost their relatives and loved ones, hoping for the soonest recovery of those injured," the Russian head of state stressed in a telegram.

A Bek Air plane en route from Almaty to Nur-Sultan crashed shortly after takeoff. There were 95 passengers and five crewmembers onboard. According to the latest reports, 12 people were killed in the crash, including the plane’s captain, and 49 people were taken to hospitals, 18 of them in a serious condition.