Feature: Chinese passenger recounts harrowing tale of survival after Kazakh plane crash

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ALMATY, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- A Bek Air plane, with about 100 people on board, was en route from south Kazakhstan's Almaty to its capital Nur-Sultan when it crashed into a two-story building Friday morning shortly after take-off, killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens of others.

A Chinese passenger recounts her harrowing tale of survival.

"We were the first to get out of the plane. We are fine," said Chinese passenger Nuerlan Maolina, 32. Her Kazakh husband was also on the flight.

The passenger said she was on her way to visit customers in Nur-Sultan and due to return on the same day. But during the flight, "the plane was shaking heavily, and people were screaming. It then crashed into the building."

"My husband and I sat in the 14th row. Our seats were the nearest to the emergency exit. My husband smashed the exit door open and dragged me outside," she said. "He asked me to keep calm and I did. At that time, the plane had not yet fully stopped."

"We started climbing the wing, which is very slippery, and then fell to the ground covered by snow via the wing. Another three or four passengers also got out of the exit," she said. "We ran as fast as we could in case the plane would explode, as they do in disaster movies."

"Soon, emergency staff came to the site. A nurse came to us and asked whether we needed help. We said we were fine. We registered our names and left the scene," she said. "On the way back, my husband and I did not say a single word. We are so lucky that we are still alive."

After they came home, she said, they received an inquiry from the Chinese Consulate in Almaty asking whether they needed help. "Our family appreciates it a lot," she said.

"The year 2019 means a lot to me. We had our first child. I wish everyone safe and may we cherish our life," she added.

Nursultan Nazarbayev, the first president of Kazakhstan, and incumbent President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed deep condolences to the families and friends of the victims. Dec. 28 was declared a day of national mourning, with the state flag lowered and all entertainment events canceled.

Bek Air, which has a total of nine Fokker-100 planes, has suspended all flights. The Kazakh low-cost jet operator has started refunding tickets and transferring passengers to other airlines.

The Kazakh Ministry of Industry and Infrastructural Development said the crashed aircraft, a medium-sized, twin-turbofan jet airliner, was 23 years old and most recently certified to operate in May. The company manufacturing the aircraft went bankrupt in 1996, and the production of the Fokker-100 stopped in the following year.

A commission led by Prime Minister Askar Mamin has launched a probe into the crash. The Interstate Aviation Committee and representatives from the Netherlands will also be involved in the probe. Enditem

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