Plane crash kills 65

On 24 August 2008 a passenger aircraft crashed shortly after taking off from Manas International Airport (UAFM/FRU) in Bishkek. The flight was en route to Tehran, Iran, when the aircraft reportedly lost cabin pressure and the pilot requested an emergency landing shortly before the aircraft crashed near the airport's runway. The Kyrgyz Itek-Air Boeing 737-200 aircraft had been chartered by an Iranian company and was carrying approximately 90 people, 65 of whom (including foreign nationals) were killed. There were no reports of major disruptions at the airport. An investigation into the incident is underway, but terrorism is not suspected. The nearly 30-year-old aircraft was said to have been in good condition and recently inspected. Officials have declared 26 August a national day of mourning.