A passenger plane that was heading from Azerbaijan to Russia, with 69 people aboard, crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan. The flight J2-8243 involved an Embraer 190 aircraft, carrying 62 passengers and five crew members. It had to land in emergency circumstances on Wednesday, about 3 kilometers from Aktau.
Health officials have confirmed the recovery of at least four bodies, and there are fears that more deaths may be confirmed, including the two pilots. According to Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor General’s Office, at least 32 passengers survived the incident and have been hospitalized.
An official statement said that results of investigation were not yet available but that all scenarios are being explored and expert analyses are currently under way. An investigative team has been sent to the crash site, led by Azerbaijan’s deputy prosecutor general to help with the inquiry.
According to the Russian news agency Interfax, citing ministry sources, there might be other survivors. Medical personnel at the scene reported that four bodies have been recovered, and about 150 rescue workers have been sent to the area.
Emergency responders at the crash site were caught in drone footage, showing how recovery is still on.
According to Al Jazeera, preliminary reports indicated that the aircraft requested an alternate airport landing due to heavy fog in Grozny.
Citizens of Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan were some of the passengers on board. Russia’s aviation watchdog has indicated that preliminary assessments point to a possible bird strike prompting the emergency landing.
Kazakh authorities have set up a government commission to probe the accident. Members of the commission have been sent to the scene to ensure that support is given to the families of the victims and the injured.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has returned early from his visit to Russia, where he was expected to attend a summit. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that President Putin reached out to express condolences over the crash.
Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechen leader, has also expressed sympathy. He said that those who are hospitalized are in critical condition, and he called for prayers for their recovery. Interfax reports that Kazakhstan’s authorities are considering all sorts of theories about the crash, including a technical malfunction.
