An Azerbaijani airliner carrying 67 people crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, resulting in at least 38 fatalities, according to Kazakh authorities.
In a large-scale rescue operation, 29 survivors, including two children, were pulled from the wreckage. Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev confirmed that 11 of the survivors were in critical condition.
Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 was traveling from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Grozny, located in the Russian region of Chechnya, when it made an emergency landing about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from Aktau.
Footage from the crash site showed dazed survivors emerging from the charred plane. All survivors were taken to hospitals, with none of them being Kazakh nationals, Bozumbayev added.
“The bodies are in poor condition, mostly burnt, and all have been collected,” Bozumbayev said. “They will now be taken to the morgue for identification.”
Only one survivor’s identity remains unknown, according to Bozumbayev. “She is unconscious, has no documents, and is currently in the hospital,” he added.
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that rescue teams arrived to find the aircraft on fire and immediately worked to extinguish the flames.
Video footage of the crash showed the plane erratically circling the airfield before it crashed. Upon impact, the aircraft burst into flames, and bloodied passengers emerged from the wreckage shortly afterward.
Elmira, a woman who joined the rescue efforts, described the devastating scene to Radio Free Europe’s Kazakh Service. “The front part of the plane was on fire. We rescued the survivors. Their bodies were covered in blood. They were crying and asking for help,” she said.
Elmira explained that there were people of all ages among the survivors, including men, women, teenagers, and a small child. She recalled a young girl pleading, “Save my mom, my mom is still there.” The child was crying and begging for her mother’s rescue.
Elmira and other volunteers guided survivors to a bus to prevent them from freezing in the cold, as many were only wearing light sweaters. “We kept them on the bus until the ambulance arrived,” she said.
Investigation Underway
Russia’s aviation watchdog stated that preliminary information suggested the pilot had decided to make an emergency landing after a bird strike.
Although the reasons for the flight’s route are unclear, the crash occurred shortly after drone strikes hit southern Russia. Drone activity has previously forced airport closures in the area, and the nearest Russian airport on the plane’s flight path had been shut down on Wednesday morning.
Kazakhstan’s transport ministry’s preliminary report indicated that there were 62 passengers and 5 crew members on board. Of the passengers, 37 were Azerbaijani, six were Kazakh, three were Kyrgyzstani, and 16 were Russian, according to initial data.
“The airline will provide additional information about the incident as it becomes available,” Azerbaijan Airlines stated on its Facebook page.
The Kazakhstan government has established a commission to investigate the crash’s cause.
“The Commission has been instructed to fly immediately to the scene of the accident, conduct a comprehensive investigation, and ensure priority assistance to the families of the deceased and injured,” the government said in a statement. Kazakhstan will collaborate with Azerbaijan in the investigation.
In response to the incident, Azerbaijan Airlines has suspended flights between Baku and Grozny, as well as Makhachkala, the largest city in Dagestan, until the investigation is completed.
