The horrific Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in Kazakhstan claimed 42 lives and left 28 survivors in a Christmas Day tragedy.
The Embraer 190 aircraft burst into flames upon impact near Aktau, Kazakhstan, leaving a trail of destruction and heartbreak.
The Azerbaijan Airlines flight, carrying 67 passengers and five crew members, was en route from Baku to Grozny when disaster struck.
Footage captured the moment the plane erupted into a fireball upon hitting the ground, with thick black smoke engulfing the crash site.
Survivors, bloodied and dazed, emerged from the wreckage, their ordeal etched on their faces.
Crash Details and Emergency Response
The Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in Kazakhstan occurred three kilometers from Aktau, a key oil and gas hub.
The aircraft, identified as an Embraer E190AR, sent out a distress signal at an altitude of 2,125 feet over the Caspian Sea.
Initial reports indicate that a bird strike caused an oxygen tank to explode onboard, leading to the catastrophic incident.
Rescue teams quickly mobilized to extinguish the flames and transport survivors to regional hospitals. Of the 28 survivors, seven remain in critical condition, including two children aged 11 and 16. Tragically, unconfirmed reports suggest that both pilots lost their lives, with a female flight attendant being the sole crew survivor.
Reactions and International Condolence
The Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in Kazakhstan prompted widespread grief and condolences. Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, who was attending a summit in Russia, returned home immediately following the tragedy. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences to Aliyev, while Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov pledged prayers for the survivors.
Authorities in Kazakhstan have launched an investigation into the crash, forming a government commission to uncover the cause and ensure support for the victims’ families. Local residents were urged to donate blood for the injured survivors, reflecting the community’s solidarity during this difficult time.
The preliminary cause of the crash of the aircraft of the #Azerbaijan|i company AZAL in #Kazakhstan was a collision with a flock of birds. According to preliminary data, there're 67 passengers & 5 crew members on the plane flying from Baku to Grozny/#Russia, 12 people survived. pic.twitter.com/t2WMy2uA84
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Eyewitness Accounts and Survivor Stories
Dramatic footage from the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in Kazakhstan showed passengers stumbling from the severed rear of the plane, while others sat in shock on the ground. Witnesses described the harrowing moments as the plane attempted an emergency landing in Aktau after being rerouted due to dense fog in Grozny and Makhachkala.
Video from crash site of AZAL plane in Aktau#Akatu #kazakistan pic.twitter.com/oR4SaLiHhA
— ℂ𝕙𝕖 𝔾𝕦𝕖𝕧𝕒𝕣𝕒 ★ (@cheguwera) December 25, 2024
Survivors recounted how the cabin filled with smoke following the oxygen tank explosion, causing many to lose consciousness. The crash left mangled wreckage scattered across the Aktau airport grounds, a grim testament to the tragedy.
Global Investigation Underway
The Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in Kazakhstan has prompted cooperation between Kazakh and Azerbaijani authorities to investigate the incident thoroughly. Potential technical failures are being examined, as officials work to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
