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Russia-bound airliner crashes in ex-Soviet state (VIDEO) Russia-bound airliner crashes in ex-Soviet state (VIDEO)
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The plane was en route from Azerbaijan to Chechnya when it went down near the Kazakh city of AktauThe plane was en route from Azerbaijan to Chechnya when it went down near the Kazakh city of Aktau
A passenger plane carrying 67 people, including 62 passengers and five crew members, has crashed near the city of Aktau on Kazakhstan's Caspian Sea coast, local officials reported on Tuesday. A Russia-bound passenger plane carrying 67 people, including 62 passengers and five crew members, has crashed on Wednesday morning near the city of Aktau on Kazakhstan's Caspian Sea coast.
The Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer E190AR was en route from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, when the incident occurred. The Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer E190AR was en route from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny in Chechnya when the incident occurred.
While the number of casualties remains unclear, local media report there are survivors. Kazakhstan's Ministry of Emergency Situations said that 28 people, including two minors aged 11 and 16, survived the crash. Twenty-two survivors have been hospitalized with injuries, its statement added. Emergency services continue to work at the scene, with more than 150 first responders deployed.
Video footage of the crash has surfaced online as authorities investigate the cause of the accident. Preliminary investigations indicate that a bird strike caused the crash. According to Kazakhstan's Department of Health, an oxygen cylinder exploded on board after the bird strike, injuring 14 people, including two children, and causing passengers to lose consciousness. The explosion reportedly occurred after the aircraft's engine malfunctioned.
Local media published a video showing the jet descending at a relatively sharp angle, and seconds later hitting the ground in a fireball. Tengrinews.kz said the plane sent an emergency signal before going down. Rosaviatsia, Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency, has issued an official statement on the incident:
The Azerbaijani outlet AZAL said, citing preliminary reports, that the crash was caused by a bird strike. Business daily RBK reported, citing officials, that the Grozny airport was unable to accept the plane due to thick fog and redirected it to the nearby city of Makhachkala. ”Today, at about 09:30 Moscow time, near the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea, while approaching Aktau Airport in Kazakhstan, an Embraer 190 aircraft of the Azerbaijani airline AZAL collided with the ground. Preliminary information suggests that following a bird strike, the aircraft commander declared an emergency and diverted to Aktau as a backup airfield. Emergency services in Kazakhstan are conducting search and rescue operations. Rosaviatsia is in contact with AZAL, and aviation authorities in Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.”
Kazakh Health Minister Akmaral Alnazarova has said that at least six people survived the crash, and that all necessary medical personnel have been dispatched. Later, the Kazakh Ministry of Emergency Situations put the number of survivors at 25, of whom 22 have been hospitalized. Video footage shared online shows the plane descending sharply before hitting the ground in a fireball. Tengrinews.kz reported that the aircraft sent an emergency signal before the crash. Initial reports also suggest thick fog in Grozny prevented the plane from landing there, prompting the diversion to Aktau.
According to the Kazakh Ministry of Emergency Situations, more than 150 first responders are working at the scene. The Kazakh Ministry of Transport has confirmed that Aktau Airport is operating normally. Among the passengers, it said, were 37 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russians, six Kazakhs, and three Kyrgyz nationals, Kommersant is reporting.
The Kazakhstani Transport Ministry, citing preliminary data shared by Azerbaijani authorities, said there were 62 passengers and five crew members on board. It later specified that there were 37 Azerbaijani, 16 Russian, six Kazakh and three Kyrgyz citizens inside the plane. Authorities are continuing their investigation into the crash, with technical malfunctions also being considered as a contributing factor.