DHAKA: A Turkish cargo plane flying from Hong Kong has crashed in Kyrgyzstan, killing at least 32 people, most of them on the ground, say officials.

The Boeing 747 crashed amid fog into homes near Manas airport, about 25km (15 miles) north of the capital, Bishkek, the Kyrgyz government said, reports the BBC.

At least 15 buildings were destroyed and a number of children were reported to be among the dead.

Flight TK6491 was to have stopped at Manas en route to Istanbul in Turkey.

The plane belonged to Turkish cargo carrier ACT, which flies under the name MyCargo. The Kyrgyz government said the flight itself was on behalf of Turkish Airlines but this has not been confirmed.

Turkish Airlines said in a Twitter statement, “Our condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives in the tragic incident involving an ACT Airlines aircraft in Kyrgyzstan.”

The plane came down shortly after 07:30 local time (01:30 GMT) in the village of Dacha-Suu, a popular holiday home area.

Visibility was poor at the time because of freezing fog, but the cause of the crash has not yet been confirmed. The plane is believed to have been around 14 years old.

There were initial reports that one crew member had survived but later reports merely spoke of one missing pilot.

There were at least four people on board, officials said. A number of people have been taken to hospital with injuries.

BDST: 1355 HRS, JAN 16, 2017
AP