Azerbaijan Airlines' Russia-bound plane crashes in Kazakhstan, more than 70 people were on board, 25 survived

By News Update On Dec 25, 2024

An Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane flying from Baku to Grozny crashed near Aktau airport in Kazakhstan on Tuesday. The plane had reportedly requested an emergency landing before the crash. Quoting Kazakhstan's Emergencies Ministry, PTI reported that 42 people reportedly died in the tragic incident.

In a Telegram statement on Wednesday, the ministry confirmed that 67 people, including five crew members, were on board the plane. Initial assessments indicate that 25 people have survived. Of these, 22 have been admitted to the hospital.

A plane en route from Azerbaijan's capital Baku to Grozny in Chechnya, Russia, crashed at Aktau airport, Kazakh media reported. Before the crash, the aircraft made several circles around the airport requesting an emergency landing and then stalled and crashed.

The video of the incident has surfaced on social media, which shows the plane descending towards the ground in an unusual manner. The plane catches fire upon touching the runway.

Azerbaijan Airlines confirmed the accident in social media posts on Ax, Facebook and Instagram. The post, written in Kazakh and English, said: “The Embraer 190 aircraft operated by Azerbaijan Airlines, flight number J2-8243 on the Baku-Grozny route made an emergency landing about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) near the city of Aktau . “Additional information regarding the incident will be provided to the public.”

FlightRadar24.com data showed the flight's last location near Aktau Airport on Wednesday, December 25.

A statement from the Central Asian country's emergency ministry said the fire had been extinguished. The statement said the survivors are being treated at a nearby hospital.

Meanwhile, Russian news agencies reported that the plane was diverted due to dense fog in Grozny.

Kazakh authorities have launched an investigation into the incident. According to Russia's Interfax news agency, they are investigating several possibilities, including a technical problem.