(DailyChive.com) – An Azerbaijani passenger plane carrying 67 people crashed near the Kazakhstani city of Aktau on Wednesday, leaving at least 32 survivors, officials reported. Sadly, over 30 people may have lost their lives in the tragic accident.
The Embraer 190 aircraft was flying from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, when it encountered trouble. According to Kazakhstan’s Emergency Ministry, the plane crash-landed about three kilometers from Aktau. Initial reports said 25 people survived, but that number rose as rescuers found more survivors. Among the 29 hospitalized were two children, and some passengers remain in critical condition.
Preliminary reports suggest the crash was caused by a bird strike, which forced the pilots to make an emergency landing. Both pilots are believed to have died, according to emergency workers on the scene. Mobile phone footage circulating online shows the plane descending sharply before hitting the ground and bursting into flames. Other videos show survivors pulling fellow passengers away from the wreckage.
The passengers included 42 Azerbaijanis, 16 Russians, six Kazakhs, and three Kyrgyz nationals. Officials are still working to confirm the final numbers of those who survived and those who perished.
Flight-tracking data from FlightRadar24.com revealed the aircraft had been experiencing erratic altitude changes just before the crash. The tracking website also noted that the plane faced “strong GPS jamming,” a problem previously linked to Russian interference in the region.
Azerbaijan Airlines has pledged to keep the public informed and has sent officials to Aktau to investigate. Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev returned home from Russia upon hearing the news. He declared December 26 a national day of mourning and expressed his condolences to the victims’ families.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also offered his sympathies and said that Russia’s Emergency Ministry had sent help to Kazakhstan. Authorities from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia have launched a joint investigation into the accident.
The aircraft manufacturer, Embraer, stated they are ready to assist in the investigation. In the meantime, both officials and the public mourn those lost in this devastating tragedy.
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