A plane belonging to Azerbaijan Airlines has crashed near the city of Aktau in northeastern Kazakhstan. The information was confirmed by the press service of Kazakhstan's Ministry of Transport. Onboard were 64 passengers and five crew members.
"Near the city of Aktau, a scheduled flight en route from Baku to Grozny crashed. The aircraft belongs to Azerbaijan Airlines," the statement said.
Preliminary reports indicate that the passengers included 42 citizens of Azerbaijan, 6 of Kazakhstan, 3 of Kyrgyzstan, and 16 of Russia.
The Embraer E190 aircraft had been redirected to Makhachkala and then Aktau due to fog in Grozny, the press service of the Chechen capital's airport told RIA Novosti.
Kazakhstan's Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that 52 personnel and 11 units of equipment arrived at the crash site in Aktau.
"Upon arrival, the aircraft was found to be on fire. Rescue units began extinguishing the fire. Information on casualties is being clarified; preliminary reports indicate survivors," the ministry stated.
Kazakhstan's Minister of Health, Akmaral Alnazarova, reported six survivors in critical condition. Later, it was revealed that 12 people, including one child, were transported from the crash site to the Mangystau Regional Hospital in Aktau, according to Tengrinews.kz.
At 13:03, the Ministry of Emergency Situations clarified that 25 survivors were reported, with 22 of them hospitalized. In total, 150 personnel and 45 units of equipment were deployed for rescue operations.
As of 13:38, the number of survivors had risen to 29, including two children.
Under the directive of Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, a special commission has been formed, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev, Tengrinews.kz reported.
In light of the tragedy, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev is returning to Baku from Russia, where he was attending a CIS summit. According to the latest information, the total number of survivors has reached 32, including all three Kyrgyz citizens. Kyrgyzstan's Ministry of Health, cited by the Telegram channel "Oy-Ordo," confirmed that one of them sustained injuries.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
December 25, 2024