Plane Crash in Kazakhstan Leaves at Least 30 Dead
An Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed near Aktau, Dec. 25, 2024. X/ @SilviodoQuental
December 25, 2024 Hour: 10:44 am
‘The causes of the AZAL plane crash are not yet known. There are various theories,’ Azerbaijani President Aliyev said.
On Wednesday morning, an Embraer 190 aircraft operated by Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), carrying at least 69 people, crashed near Aktau Airport, on the shores of the Caspian Sea, while en route from Baku to the Russian city of Grozny.
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Over 30 people are believed to have died, while 32 others survived the crash, according to Kanan Zeinalov, spokesperson for Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor General’s Office. The figures have yet to be confirmed.
“The causes of the AZAL plane crash are not yet known. There are various theories, but it is too early to speculate,” stated Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
“It was a regular flight. It was supposed to go to Grozny, but due to fog, it was diverted to Makhachkala and then, apparently, to Aktau,” said a spokesperson for the Chechen capital’s airport in an initial statement to the TASS agency.
The airline suggested that the crash might have been caused by a collision with a flock of birds. However, testimonies from survivors indicate the accident resulted from an explosion, reportedly caused by an oxygen cylinder on board.
The crew sent a distress signal at 8:35 a.m. local time, reporting a control system failure. At 8:49 a.m., they requested an emergency landing in Aktau and attempted a direct landing. However, at 9:28 a.m., the aircraft crashed to the ground.
In a video shared on the Telegram channel 112, passengers can be seen praying inside the aircraft as oxygen masks deployed during the emergency. Among the passengers were 37 Azerbaijanis, 16 Russians, 6 Kazakhs, and 3 Kyrgyz nationals. All survivors were hospitalized, with some in intensive care units. Among the injured are at least two minors, aged 11 and 16.
One of the survivors, identified by the SHOT channel as Subjonkul, was seated at the back of the aircraft, where all nearby passengers managed to escape the catastrophe alive. The 48-year-old man stated that the plane initially tried to land in Grozny, but weather conditions prevented it.
He then heard an explosion, and the aircraft suddenly changed course. “The pilot saved us with his maneuver. If it weren’t for him, we would all be dead,” the man claimed.
Meanwhile, other Telegram channels noted that as the aircraft approached Aktau, the crew managed to steer the plane away from residential blocks located less than two kilometers from the local airport. The ill-fated aircraft was manufactured 11 years ago in Brazil. It operated regular international flights from Baku to various Russian cities, as well as to Turkey, Iran, Georgia, the Czech Republic, and Bahrain.
Just ten days ago, on December 15, the same plane was unable to land in Grozny due to the temporary closure of the Chechen capital’s airport amid threats from Ukrainian drones. The last accident involving an Embraer aircraft occurred in February at Belgrade Airport and caused no casualties.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev extended his condolences to his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, following the crash. Aliyev, who was flying in Russian airspace to attend an informal summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States leaders near Saint Petersburg, canceled his plans and instructed his pilot to return to Baku.
Azerbaijani authorities declared a day of mourning for tomorrow. Meanwhile, employees at Baku Airport began dismantling the Christmas tree installed on the premises. Condolences for the Azerbaijani plane tragedy were also expressed by other leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
teleSUR/ JF Source: EFE