Footage released by CNN captures the moment the aircraft crash-landed, erupting into flames and generating thick black smoke.
Here’s the latest update on this tragic incident and information regarding its potential causes.
The victims
The passengers of the Azerbaijan Airlines’ Embraer flight 190 included 37 Azerbaijanis, 16 Russians, six Kazakhs, and three Kyrgyz, as reported by the New York Times. The plane was en route from the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku, to Grozny, Russia, when it encountered trouble while attempting an emergency landing at the Aktau airport in Kazakhstan.
Among the survivors, there were two children.
Video footage from the scene shared by the Russian news agency Ria Novosti depicts various passengers either on the ground or managing to escape the wreckage.
Some mobile videos reveal passengers assisting one another out of the debris.
The cause of the crash
The precise cause of the crash has yet to be determined.
Initially, the aviation authority of Russia speculated that the aircraft might have struck a flock of birds, but there were additional reports suggesting that dense fog could have been a contributing factor. Observations indicated that the flight altered its route due to deteriorating weather, but it remains unclear how significant these elements were in the eventual crash, as reported by the AP.
“From the information provided to me, the flight changed its trajectory between Baku and Grozny due to worsening weather and diverted to Aktau airport, where it ultimately crashed,” stated Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday.
On Thursday, Reuters reported that authorities are investigating whether the aircraft may have been accidentally downed by Russian air defense systems, based on interviews with four unnamed sources familiar with Azerbaijan’s preliminary investigation. Nearly three years post the Russia-Ukraine war, Russian air defense systems frequently respond to threats posed by Ukrainian military drones targeting southern Russia. Although Russian authorities are not confirming this claim, President Vladimir Putin has prioritized sending emergency resources to the crash site.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for Putin, remarked on Thursday that “it would be improper to speculate before the investigation reaches its findings,” emphasizing that “no one should engage in such speculation.”
In the wake of the incident, Azerbaijan has suspended flights between Baku and Grozny until further clarity regarding the official cause of the crash can be established.
The news is generated with AI, with Inputs from different news sources.
