An Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet crashed on Wednesday in western Kazakhstan, with 35 people feared dead, officials have confirmed.
Azerbaijani authorities reported that 32 passengers survived the crash of the Embraer 190 near Aktau, an oil and gas hub on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea.
The flight had 67 people on board, including 62 passengers and five crew members, leaving 35 feared to have perished in the incident.
Emergency response teams were deployed to the crash site, located roughly three kilometres (1.9 miles) from Aktau. A fire, which ignited upon impact, was extinguished by Kazakh emergency services, who had mobilised 150 personnel to the scene.
The aircraft was travelling from Baku, the Azerbaijani capital, to Grozny in Chechnya, southern Russia. According to Azerbaijan Airlines, the plane made an emergency landing before the tragedy occurred.
National Mourning Declared
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev declared Thursday a national day of mourning and cancelled his planned attendance at the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit in Russia. President Aliyev expressed his condolences, stating:
“I extend my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the crash and wish a speedy recovery to the injured.”
Kazakh authorities announced that the plane was carrying 37 Azerbaijani nationals, six Kazakhs, three Kyrgyz, and 16 Russians.
Specialist doctors from Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, were flown to the crash site to assist in treating the injured. Of the survivors, 28, including two children, were hospitalised.
Investigation Underway
The Kazakh transport ministry confirmed that all potential causes of the crash are being investigated, with a team led by Azerbaijan’s deputy prosecutor general working on-site. Flight data revealed the aircraft deviated from its typical route across the Caspian Sea before circling over the crash area.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov offered their condolences to Azerbaijan, while Mehriban Aliyeva, Azerbaijan’s first vice president, expressed deep sorrow for the loss of life.
As investigations continue, the focus remains on providing support to the survivors and the families of the victims while determining the cause of this devastating accident.