ASTANA/TBILISI/BAKU. A plane crash claimed the lives of 38 people when an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 passenger jet went down near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, December 25. The aircraft, operating as Flight J2-8243, was en route from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, when it diverted hundreds of miles off its scheduled path before crashing on the opposite shore of the Caspian Sea.
Reports indicate that 29 survivors, including two children, are currently receiving medical treatment at a nearby hospital. Kazakhstan’s emergency ministry confirmed that the bodies of the deceased are being recovered, and fire services have extinguished the blaze at the crash site.
Russia’s aviation watchdog suggested that a bird strike may have caused the emergency, stating on Telegram:
“Preliminary: after a collision with birds, due to an emergency on board, its commander decided to ‘go’ to an alternate airfield – Aktau was chosen.”
However, aviation expert Richard Aboulafia from AeroDynamic Advisory questioned this explanation, stating, “You can lose control of the plane, but you don’t fly wildly off course as a consequence.”
The crash occurred amid heightened tensions following recent Ukrainian drone strikes in southern Russia, including the Chechen city of Grozny, where the flight was headed. The nearest Russian airport on the plane’s original route was reportedly closed on Wednesday morning. Kyiv has not acknowledged the strikes on Grozny this month.
Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev expressed deep sorrow over the incident, calling it a national tragedy:
“This is a great tragedy that has become a tremendous sorrow for the Azerbaijani people.”
Aliyev noted that the plane’s course change may have been due to poor weather but emphasized that the exact cause remains under investigation.
Graphic video footage from the crash site showed the plane descending rapidly before bursting into flames upon impact with the seashore. Thick black smoke rose from the wreckage, while bloodied survivors stumbled from a piece of the fuselage that remained intact.
Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev disclosed the death toll during a meeting with an Azerbaijani delegation in Aktau, as reported by Russian news agency Interfax.
Kazakhstan’s transport prosecutor, Timur Suleimenov, confirmed in a briefing that the plane’s black box has been recovered and will be analyzed to determine the cause of the crash.
Azerbaijan Airlines stated that the Embraer 190 jet, carrying 62 passengers and five crew members, was forced to make an emergency landing approximately 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from Aktau.
Investigations are ongoing to uncover the exact circumstances that led to this tragic incident, with authorities from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Russia collaborating on the probe.
This tragedy has left the Azerbaijani and Kazakh communities mourning during what should have been a season of celebration.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
