Reuters photo.
Baku: A surviving passenger of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan told Reuters that at least one loud bang was heard before it crashed. The unfortunate tragedy happened while the flight was approaching Grozny in southern Russia, its original destination, Reuters reported.
It was on Wednesday that the ill-fated flight J2-8243 crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from an area of southern Russia. The avoided area is where Russia uses air defences against Ukranian drones.
Initial investigations reveal damage to the plane's fuselage and tail section, consistent with shrapnel impact from a missile, as reported by multiple foreign media outlets.
Footage circulating online shows large holes in the aircraft's body, further supporting this theory. The Wall Street Journal and other sources have noted that the incident occurred near an area of heightened Ukrainian drone activity, with Grozny, a heavily defended city, being a key target in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Experts, including Russian military blogger Yury Podolyaka, suggest that the damage aligns with an antiaircraft missile strike. Additionally, aviation risk analyst Matt Borie highlighted that circumstances in southwest Russia's airspace indicate potential misidentification of the commercial jet as a hostile target.
One of the passengers now told Reuters that he thought the plane was going to fall apart as he heard the loud sound. He said that he started reciting prayers once the loud bang was heard.
At least 38 people were killed, while 29 people survived.
Russia has said it's important to wait for the official investigation to finish its work to understand what happened.