New Delhi: Thirty people are feared dead after an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed near Aktau city of Kazakhstan and burst into flames on Wednesday.
There were 62 people on board the Embraer 190 aircraft, which was flying from Azerbaijan capital Baku to Grozny in Russia’s Chechnya. Due to extremely foggy conditions in Grozny, the flight was rerouted.
“According to preliminary information, there are 32 survivors of whom 22 have been hospitalised,” Azerbaijan’s Emergencies Ministry said on Telegram.
Videos showing the aircraft losing altitude rapidly, crashing into an open field and bursting into flames went viral on social media.
Dramatic footage captured the moment an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed into the ground in Kazakhstan, tragically ending the lives of many on board. The flight, carrying 67 passengers and 5 crew members, had been diverted due to fog. While some miraculously survived, our hearts… pic.twitter.com/ZEdM78i5dF
— Lyfraft (@lyfraft) December 25, 2024
BREAKING: Azerbaijan Airlines flight traveling from Baku to Grozny crashes in Aktau, Kazakhstan, after reportedly requesting an emergency landing pic.twitter.com/hB5toqEFe2
— RT (@RT_com) December 25, 2024
The Kazakh Transport Ministry said flight J2-8243 was carrying 37 persons from Azerbaijan, 6 from Kazakhstan, 3 from Kyrgyzstan and 16 from Russia, AFP reported.
A distress signal was transmitted after a collision with a flock of birds and a steering malfunction. The tried to gain speed and altitude, but the controls completely failed.
After an emergency landing at Aktau was requested, the plane took several circles before losing control and crashing close to the airport.
Images and videos showed ambulances at the crash site as rescue operation was underway.
🔴 #UPDATE: Azerbaijan Airlines Flight #J28243 Crash
The flight carried 62 passengers, including 37 Azerbaijani nationals, 16 Russians, 6 Kazakhs, and 3 Kyrgyz citizens, according to the airline.
Originally scheduled to land in Grozny, the aircraft was diverted due to thick… https://t.co/bPUbXnuHgD pic.twitter.com/XroQDIKNs6
— Antony Ochieng,KE✈️ (@Turbinetraveler) December 25, 2024
Data from online flight tracking website FlightRadar24 showed the aircraft flying over the Caspian Sea and heading towards its scheduled destination. After entering the territorial borders of Russia, the plane started circling near the airport, requesting an emergency landing. At 11.58 am (local time), the flight crashed in a field near the Caspian Sea shore.
According to FlightRadar24, the aircraft was exposed to “strong GPS jamming, which made the aircraft transmit bad ADS-B Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast data.”
