Fatshimetrie — Passenger plane crashes near Aktau, Kazakhstan
A tragedy has struck near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan, where a passenger plane carrying 67 people from Azerbaijan to southern Russia has crashed. Local authorities reported that many people may have died in the crash.
At least 28 people, including two children, were reportedly killed. All survivors were taken to hospital for medical treatment. Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243, which was flying from the Azerbaijani capital Baku to Grozny in the Russian region of Chechnya, had to make an emergency landing about 3 kilometers from Aktau.
When teams from the Kazakh Ministry of Emergency Situations arrived at the scene, the plane was on fire. Rescue units immediately brought the fire under control. Videos of the crash show the plane circling erratically before crashing. Upon impact, the plane burst into flames, and bloodied passengers were seen emerging from the wreckage shortly after.
According to the Russian aviation authority, preliminary information indicates that the pilot decided to make an emergency landing following a collision with a bird. The preliminary report from the Kazakh Ministry of Transport lists 62 passengers and five crew members on board. Among the passengers were 37 Azeri nationals, six Kazakhs, three Kyrgyz and 16 Russians.
The airline announced on its Facebook page that it would provide additional information on the incident in the coming days. This tragedy is still developing and will be subject to updates as new information becomes available.
The international community is in mourning over this tragic loss. Our thoughts are with the bereaved families, and we hope that the survivors are able to recover from this terrible ordeal. Aviation safety remains a major concern, and this accident must serve as a constant reminder of the importance of high safety standards in the aviation sector.