An Azerbaijani airliner crashed in Kazakhstan after being diverted, resulting in the tragic loss of 38 lives out of the 67 individuals on board. The incident occurred when Azerbaijan Airlines’ Embraer 190 was en route from Baku to Grozny but was redirected for reasons that are still under investigation. The plane attempted to land in Aktau, Kazakhstan, after crossing the Caspian Sea, but unfortunately crashed near the coast, approximately 3 kilometers from Aktau.
Cellphone footage circulating online depicted the aircraft making a steep descent before hitting the ground and erupting into a fireball. Following the crash, rescuers swiftly transported the 29 survivors to nearby hospitals for urgent medical attention.
In response to the tragedy, Azerbaijan declared a nationwide day of mourning, with flags lowered, traffic halted, and signals sounded from various modes of transportation. President Ilham Aliyev mentioned that adverse weather conditions had necessitated the plane's deviation from its intended flight path.
Authorities from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Russia have initiated investigations into the crash. Embraer expressed its willingness to cooperate with relevant authorities to determine the cause of the accident. Russia's civil aviation authority suggested that a bird strike may have prompted the emergency landing in Aktau.
Speculation has arisen regarding the possibility of the plane being targeted by Russian air defense systems in response to a suspected Ukrainian drone attack. Osprey Flight Solutions, a UK-based aviation security firm, cautioned that the aircraft may have been shot down by a Russian military air-defense system. However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov emphasized the importance of awaiting the investigators' findings before drawing conclusions.
Officials in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan refrained from commenting on the potential cause of the crash, emphasizing the need for a thorough investigation to ascertain the circumstances surrounding this tragic event.
