16 January 2017, 04:23 GMT
BISHKEK (Sputnik) — A Boeing 747 operated by ACT Airlines crashed into homes near Kyrgyzstan’s Manas airport while en route from Hong Kong to Istanbul with a stopover in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek. Up to 37 people died both on board and on the ground, according to the national Emergencies Ministry.
"President Almazbek Atambayev has offered condolences to the bereaved relatives and ordered to give all necessary assistance to those affected," the president’s office said in a statement. "The government has been tasked with a thorough investigation into what caused the tragedy."
A government source told RIA Novosti the Kyrgyz president was about to sign a decree announcing a national day of mourning on Tuesday. The state KTRK television channel has cancelled all entertainment programs to pay tribute to those who lost their lives.
