Photo: AP
After deviating hundreds of miles from its intended course, an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger airliner crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau, exploding in flames. There were 29 survivors. Kazakhstan's deputy prime minister, Kanat Bozumbayev, stated that 38 people were killed in the disaster, out of the 62 passengers and five staff members on board.
The survivors, who are thought to include two children, are receiving treatment at a local hospital, according to Kazakh authorities. Some were in critical condition, according to the foreign ministry of Azerbaijan.
The aircraft was travelling from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Grozny, a city in Chechnya, Russia. According to a preliminary investigation, the crash claimed the lives of both pilots, according to the Russian news agency Interfax, the Guardian reported.
Unconfirmed footage of the disaster seems to show massive, black smoke plumes rising and the jet exploding into flames as it struck the ground. Passengers were observed staggering from the portion of the fuselage that had survived, bloodied and injured.
After racing to the scene, more than fifty rescuers were able to put out the fire at the crash site. The health ministry reported that a plane containing specialised doctors was being sent from Astana, the capital, to treat the injured, while Kazakh officials later reported that around 150 emergency personnel were on the scene.
Following what Russia's aviation watchdog said was an emergency that might have been caused by a bird attack, the plane crashed hundreds of kilometres off its planned route on the other bank of the Caspian Sea.
Although Reuters reported that the disaster happened soon after drone attacks struck southern Russia, officials did not provide an explanation for why the plane had crossed the ocean.
Airports in the region have previously been closed by drone activity, and on Wednesday morning, the closest Russian airport on the plane's flight path was closed.
According to Interfax, Timur Suleimenov, Kazakhstan's chief transport prosecutor, announced during a briefing in Astana that the plane's black box—which holds flight data that can be used to identify the cause of a crash—had been located. A plane that was en route from Baku to Grozny, Chechnya, was redirected due to fog in Grozny, according to Russian news sources.
The nation's flag airline, Azerbaijan Airlines, said that an Embraer 190 had made an emergency landing approximately 2 miles (3 km) from Aktau, a gas and oil hub on the Caspian Sea's eastern shore.
“Today is a tragic day for AZAL,” the airline said on social media. “We extend our deepest condolences with profound sorrow to the families and loved ones of the passengers and crew members who lost their lives in the crash of the Embraer 190 aircraft near the city of Aktau.”
According to preliminary information, those onboard included 37 Azerbaijanis, 16 Russians, six Kazakhs, and three Kyrgyz. The airline stated it had established a hotline for family members of those on the aircraft, and that, contrary to claims from the scene, there were no children among the passengers.
The prosecutor general's office in Azerbaijan said hours after the disaster that it had launched a criminal inquiry. Kazakhstan authorities also announced the formation of a government commission to investigate what had occurred, with members flying to the scene to ensure that the families of those on the flight received assistance. Kazakhstan would assist Azerbaijan in the probe, according to the administration.
Mobile phone footage circulating online appears to show the aircraft doing a fast dive before colliding with the ground. Another video showed a section of the fuselage ripped away from the wings and the remainder of the plane, laying upside down in the grass.
The video matched the plane's colours and registration number. Russian media speculated that the plane was shot down by Russian air defences after mistaking it for a Ukrainian drone.
The Fighterbomber Telegram channel thought to be managed by Capt Ilya Tumanov of the Russian army, posted a video showing what seemed to be holes, which some speculated were caused by shelling or a shrapnel explosion.
Fighterbomber stated that it was doubtful that the holes were caused by a bird hit. FlightRadar24.com data showed the aircraft performing a figure-eight as it approached the airport in Aktau, with its altitude fluctuating significantly in the final minutes of the flight.
In a separate post, FlightRadar24 stated that the aircraft experienced "strong GPS jamming," which "made the aircraft transmit bad ADS-B data," referring to the information that allows flight-tracking websites to track planes in flight. Russia has already been criticised for blocking GPS communications across the region.
Following the disaster, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev cut short a visit to Russia, where he was scheduled to attend an informal summit of leaders from the Commonwealth of Independent States, a grouping of former Soviet nations, according to his office.
Aliyev later issued a decree proclaiming December 26 as a day of mourning in Azerbaijan. “It is with deep sadness that I express my condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to those injured,” he wrote on social media.
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Aliyev following the incident.
“Unfortunately, Azerbaijan’s President Aliyev was forced to leave St Petersburg [where he had a summit]. Putin has already called him and expressed his condolences in connection with the crash of the Azerbaijani plane in Aktau,” said Peskov.
“We deeply sympathise with those who lost their relatives and friends in this plane crash and wish a speedy recovery to all those who managed to survive.”
Azerbaijan’s first lady, Mehriban Aliyeva, who is also the country’s vice-president, said she was “deeply saddened by the news of the tragic loss of lives in the plane crash near Aktau”.
“I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims. Wishing them strength and patience! I also wish a speedy recovery to the injured,” she said on Instagram.