At least 38 people were killed and 29 injured when an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane crashed near Aktau Airport in Kazakhstan on Wednesday morning. A spokesperson for Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations confirmed the casualty figures to ABC News.
The aircraft, en route from Baku, Azerbaijan to Grozny, Russia, was rerouted to Aktau due to foggy conditions in Grozny, according to Russian news agencies. The Transport Ministry reported that the plane carried 69 people: 64 passengers and five crew members. The Ministry of Emergency Situations stated that 29 survivors were hospitalized, including two children, with some in critical condition, according to Kazakhstan’s deputy health minister. The ministry added that the list of casualties was still being finalized.
Preliminary reports suggested a bird strike may have caused engine failure, leading to an emergency landing attempt. However, Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor General’s Office launched a criminal investigation into the crash, according to officials at a press briefing. Farid Huseynov, a spokesperson for Azerbaijan Airlines, stated that the investigation is ongoing in cooperation with Kazakhstan’s Prosecutor’s Office, and all possibilities are being explored.
Passenger manifests indicated 37 Azerbaijani citizens, six from Kazakhstan, three from Kyrgyzstan, and 16 from Russia were on board, according to preliminary data from the Transport Ministry. Major General Chingis Arinov, Kazakhstan’s minister of emergency situations, confirmed that the investigation team is receiving assistance from the Ministry of Emergency Situations at the crash site. Embraer, the aircraft manufacturer, released a statement expressing their commitment to supporting the relevant authorities.
A large-scale emergency response was deployed, including 432 workers, 79 vehicles, and 10 canine units to assist in search and rescue operations. Investigations are underway, with aviation authorities from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia collaborating to determine the cause of the crash.
Following the crash, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev canceled his planned attendance at a Commonwealth of Independent States meeting in St. Petersburg. A readout of a phone call between Aliyev and Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated that both leaders expressed condolences and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. President Putin announced that he had dispatched a team from Russia’s Emergencies Ministry to Aktau, including medical personnel and equipment.