Outline
An Azerbaijan Airlines plane carrying 67 passengers and five crew members, en route from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Grozny in Russia, crashed on Wednesday near Aktau in western Kazakhstan, according to a statement from the Kazakh transport ministry.
The Kazakhstan‘s emergency ministry said 42 people are likely dead. It said 25 of them have survived the crash, according to preliminary assessment, and 22 survivors have been hospitalised.
Russian news outlets reported that the plane was diverted due to fog in Grozny. According to Russia’s Interfax news agency, Kazakh authorities have launched an investigation into various possible causes, including a technical malfunction.
A statement from Russia’s aviation watchdog indicated that preliminary findings suggest the pilot opted for an emergency landing following a bird strike.
In the aftermath of the crash, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev cut short his visit to Russia, where he had been scheduled to attend a summit, and returned home, as reported by Russia’s RIA news agency.
Ramzan Kadyrov, the Kremlin-backed leader of Chechnya, expressed his condolences and stated that those hospitalized were in critical condition. He added that he and others would pray for their swift recovery.
In summary, an Azerbaijan Airlines flight en route from Baku to Grozny tragically crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, prompting an investigation into possible causes, including technical issues and a bird strike. The incident, attributed in part to adverse weather conditions, led to severe injuries among the survivors. It elicited swift responses from Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who returned home early, and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who expressed condolences and support for the victims.
