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In unfortunate news, an Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft crashed during an emergency landing at a Kazakh airport, carrying 62 passengers and five crew members. Among them, 29 survivors, including two children, have been hospitalized.
Local media captured videos of a powerful explosion as the plane hit an empty field. There were images showing survivors being assisted by emergency workers, escaping through the aircraft’s tail.
Passengers hailed from Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, according to reports by the Russian state Ria news agency, citing Kazakhstan’s transport ministry.
It’s been reported by local media that nine individuals in the hospital are in serious condition and that search efforts are ongoing.
The Embraer 190 was bound for Grozny in Chechnya from Baku, Azerbaijan, but had to divert to Aktau due to dense fog.
Early reports suggested the plane encountered a flock of birds, which impacted its control capabilities. An emergency led the aircraft’s commander to opt for an alternate landing at Aktau, the Ria news reported, referencing Rosaviatsia, Russia’s aviation authority. Local media hinted, albeit unconfirmed, at a potential oxygen canister explosion onboard, causing passengers to lose consciousness.
Azerbaijan has dispatched a formal delegation to Kazakhstan for an in-depth investigation into the crash, stated Azerbaijan’s APA news agency. Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, departed from an informal Commonwealth of Independent States summit in Russia to return to Baku, sharing his condolences with those affected.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov mentioned that Russian President Vladimir Putin also extended his sympathies to the Azerbaijani president.
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov expressed his condolences to the victims’ families via social media, saying, “We pray for the recovery of the survivors.”
Photos online displayed families anxiously waiting at Grozny airport to hear about their loved ones.
One relieved man at Grozny airport recounted receiving a video showing his nephew among the crash survivors. “I am, of course, very happy,” he shared with a Ria news journalist.
