Kazakh Rescuers Find Flight Recorder

Witnesses said the crash site had been mostly reduced to ash

Rescue teams have recovered a flight recorder from a military transport plane which crashed in Kazakhstan on December 25, killing all 27 people on board.

The plane belonged to the border troops of Kazakhstan's National Security Committee (KNB). Among those killed was the head of the border guards, Turganbek Stambekov, and his wife.

The plane crashed as it was trying to land in the city of Shymkent, the capital of the South Kazakhstan region.

President Nursultan Nazarbaev has ordered a national day of mourning on December 27.

KNB chief Nurtai Abykaev told a press conference in Shymkent that investigators were hoping the flight recorder will give a clue about what caused the plane to crash.

The KNB chief announced he has appointed Abai Brekeshev as acting head of the border guards.
With reporting by Reuters, AP, and ITAR-TASS