Kazakhstan plane crash: Air tragedy leaves survivors

Plane crash in Kazakhstan.
32 survivors and 30 possible deaths
Bird impact caused emergency.

An Azerbaijani plane with 67 people on board crashed on Wednesday near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan.

There are at least 32 survivors, according to officials. More than 30 people could be dead.

The plane was going from the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus.

Kazakhstan’s Emergencies Ministry said via Telegram that five crew members were among the people on board.

Kazakhstan plane crash was a tragedy

FLIGHT CRASH

– Complete video of plane crash of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight no J28243 Embraer ERJ190 Reg No. 4K-AZ65 Flying from Baku(GYD) to Grozny(GRV) Crashed at Aktau, Kazakhstan#planecrash #Aktau #Azerbaijanairlines #KazakhstanPlaneCrash #Kazakistan #J28243 pic.twitter.com/bbGS7ckRwY

— Parikh Vedant (@ParikhVedant3) December 25, 2024

A total of 29 survivors, including two children, have been hospitalized, the ministry told Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti.

Another Russian news agency, Interfax, cited medical workers as saying four bodies had been recovered.

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Emergency workers said both pilots died in the crash, according to a preliminary report.

The Embraer 190 plane made an emergency landing 3 kilometers from the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan Airlines said.

Kazakhstan’s Emergencies Ministry first said 25 people survived the plane crash, then revised that number to 27, 28 and then 29.

This as the search and rescue operation continued at the crash site, reducing the alleged death toll.

Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor General’s Office later reported that at least 32 people survived the crash, adding that the number was not final.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said some of them were in critical condition.

More than 30 people died

#Kazakistan‘da düşen #Azerbaycan Hava Yolları uçağının enkazından sağ kurtulan yolcular. pic.twitter.com/Zpf1VzKKHB

— #SARITORBASEVENLER (@SariKardes) December 25, 2024

According to Kazakh officials, the plane’s passengers include 42 citizens of Azerbaijan, 16 Russians, six Kazakhs and three Kyrgyz citizens.

Russia’s civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, reported that preliminary information shows that the plane’s pilot had decided to divert to Kazakhstan’s Aktau.

This after a bird strike on the aircraft led to «an emergency situation on board,» according to RIA Novosti.

Mobile phone images circulating online appeared to show the plane making a steep descent before crashing to the ground in a fireball.

Other images showed part of its fuselage torn from the wings and the rest of the plane, lying face down in the grass.

The images corresponded to the colors of the plane and its registration number.

Some of the videos posted on social media showed survivors dragging other passengers away from the wreckage of the plane.

Flight tracking data from FlightRadar24.com shows the plane apparently did a figure eight near the airport in Aktau, Kazakhstan.

The aircraft transmitted erroneous data

#sondakika | Kazakistan’ın Aktau kentine düşen Azerbaycan Havayolları’na ait uçağın düşmeden önceki son görüntüleri:#uçakkazası #Azerbaycan #Kazakistan pic.twitter.com/ShnvZQPtrB

— Cihan Saraç (@saracihan611) December 25, 2024

FlightRadar24 said separately in an online post that the plane had faced «heavy GPS interference.»

This «caused the aircraft to transmit erroneous ADS-B data,» referring to the information that allows websites to track a flight.

Russia has been blamed in the past for jamming GPS transmissions in the region.

In a statement, Azerbaijan Airlines said it would keep the public informed and changed its social media banners to solid black.

Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, who had been traveling to Russia returned to his country upon hearing the news of the accident.

Aliyev expressed his condolences to the families of the victims in a statement on social media.

«It is with deep sadness that I express my condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to the injured,» he wrote.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to Aliyev by phone and expressed his condolences, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters (The Associated Press).