The crash of a passenger jet heading from Azerbaijan to the Chechnya area of Russia on Christmas Day has killed not less than 38 folks, officers mentioned.
Azerbaijan Airways flight J2-8243 flew “tons of of miles off its scheduled route” earlier than happening close to the Kazakh metropolis of Aktau, on the other shore of the Caspian Sea, Reuters reported.
Video footage captured by a witness on the bottom reveals the aircraft failing to land safely, bursting into flames and breaking into items upon impression:
It’s unclear why the flight diverted so removed from its path, although Russia’s aviation watchdog mentioned it might have been an emergency brought on by a chicken strike. Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev mentioned there was unhealthy climate, and Reuters famous that drone exercise within the south of Russia had shut down airports within the space.
The aircraft, an Embraer 190 jet, was flying from the Azerbaijani capital of Baku to Grozny, the capital of the Chechen Republic in southern Russia.
The plane was carrying 67 folks, with 29 survivors receiving medical remedy, Kazakh officers informed NPR.
They added that the passengers included 42 Azerbaijani residents, 16 Russian nationals, six Kazakhs, and three Kyrgyzstan nationals.
“It is a nice tragedy that has turn into an amazing sorrow for the Azerbaijani folks,” President Aliyev mentioned in a press release.
“The data offered to me is that the aircraft modified its course between Baku and Grozny on account of worsening climate situations and headed to Aktau airport, the place it crashed upon touchdown,” the Azerbaijani chief added.
He additionally declared that December 26 could be a nationwide day of mourning.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has already referred to as Aliyev to share his condolences, in accordance with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Talking on the Commonwealth of Unbiased States (CIS) – a Eurasian intergovernmental group — assembly in St. Petersburg, Putin additionally mentioned his nation despatched an Emergency Ministry aircraft to assist victims and help native authorities after the devastating crash.
Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Russia all mentioned they’d be investigating the tragedy, and aircraft producer Embraer informed the Related Press in a press release that the corporate is “prepared to help all related authorities.