Search and rescue operations at the crash site of the American tanker aircraft KC-135 Stratotanker will continue until night, and if necessary continue tomorrow, Kyrgyz Minister of Emergency Situations Kubatbek Boron said on Friday, KyrTAG reported.
"The crew and the 'black boxes' have not been found yet. Search and rescue operations will continue until the night, and if necessary continue tomorrow," the official informed.
According to the American side, he said, some 60-70 tons of jet fuel were on board the crashed plane. The tanker was heading from the Manas Transit Center in Afghanistan.
As previously reported, KC-135 Stratotanker tanker aircraft from the U.S. air base, Transit Center Manas, crashed today in northern part of the Chui region. The crew of the aircraft consisted of three people. The aircraft was stripped of parachutes.
It should be mentioned that this is not the first state of emergency at the Manas airport associated with the aircraft of this type. On September 26, 2006, Kyrgyz TU-154 M, operating the Bishkek-Osh-Moscow flight with 52 passengers and 9 pilots on board, collided with Fuel Tanker KC-135 Stratotanker on the runway. American pilots did not warn the Kyrgyz air traffic controllers that the aircraft had left the runway. The government commission concluded that the crew of the American aircraft was to be blamed for the incident. The incident left no casualties and victims.