An unverified video footage of the crash demonstrates the intense moment when the Azerbaijan Airlines-operated plane exploded into flames upon impact, trailing thick black smoke into the sky. Passengers, visibly bloodied and bruised, were seen escaping from a piece of the fuselage that had remained intact, evoking a haunting image of survival amidst chaos.
The emergency ministry in Kazakhstan stated that fire services promptly extinguished the flames, ensuring that survivors, including three children, received immediate treatment at a nearby hospital.
The Embraer 190 aircraft, identified by flight number J2-8243, was en route from Baku to Grozny, the capital city of Russia’s Chechnya, when it was forced to make an emergency landing approximately 3 kilometers from the city of Aktau due to adverse weather conditions, specifically fog in Grozny, according to reports from Russian news agencies.
Investigations are underway, with authorities in Kazakhstan exploring various scenarios, including potential technical issues. Early indications from Russia’s aviation authority suggest that a bird strike may have led the pilot to execute the emergency landing.
On a related note, Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan, was reportedly returning from Russia at the time of the incident, where he was scheduled to attend a summit. Meanwhile, Ramzan Kadyrov, the Kremlin-aligned leader of Chechnya, extended his condolences, noting that those hospitalized were in critical condition and expressing hope for their swift recovery.
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