KARACHI, Pakistan - At least 12 people were killed when a Russian-made cargo plane crashed in a fireball seconds after taking off from Karachi on Sunday, a spokesman for Pakistan's civil aviation authority said.

Rescue workers recovered 12 bodies from the crash site, including three identified as local laborers, and the death toll was expected to rise.

Authorities said the Ilyushin IL-76 operated by Georgian airline Sunway slammed into buildings soon after refueling and taking off from the airport in Pakistan's business capital.