A passenger plane operated by Azerbaijan Airlines crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday, December 25. The Embraer 190, en route from Baku to Grozny, was forced to make an emergency landing.
A passenger plane operated by Azerbaijan Airlines crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday, December 25. The Embraer 190 aircraft, en route from Baku to Grozny, Russia, made an emergency landing approximately 3 kilometers from the city after reportedly colliding with a flock of birds, according to preliminary information from the airline.
Kazakhstan's Emergencies Ministry confirmed the crash and reported that emergency services were working to extinguish a fire at the site. The plane had been rerouted from its original destination of Grozny due to fog. The aircraft was carrying 67 people, including 62 passengers and 5 crew members. According to initial reports, 12 people with varying degrees of injuries were taken from the crash site to the Mangystau Regional Hospital in Aktau, while survivors are receiving medical assistance. There were no children on board, and further details on injuries are expected shortly.
The Kazakhstan Transport Ministry reported that the plane was carrying 37 Azerbaijani citizens, along with 6 Kazakh, 3 Kyrgyz, and 16 Russian nationals. In response to the crash, 52 personnel and 11 pieces of equipment from the Kazakh Ministry of Emergency Situations were dispatched to the site to assist with rescue and recovery operations.
Azerbaijan Airlines is in contact with Kazakh authorities, and further updates are awaited.
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