This Thursday has been officially designated as a national day of mourning in Azerbaijan following the tragic airplane crash that occurred on Christmas Day in Kazakhstan. The incident involved a flight carrying 67 people, leading to 38 fatalities and leaving at least 29 survivors.
CNN has shared video footage that captures the harrowing moment the plane crash-landed, bursting into flames and billowing thick black smoke.
Here’s a recap of the catastrophic event and our current understanding of the possible factors involved.
The Victims
The ill-fated Azerbaijan Airlines flight, operated by Embraer, included 37 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russians, six Kazakh nationals, and three individuals from Kyrgyzstan, as reported by the New York Times. The aircraft was making its way from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, when it tragically crashed while attempting an emergency landing at Aktau airport in Kazakhstan.
Among those who survived the incident were two young children.
Images released by the Russian state news agency Ria Novosti show passengers on the ground, with some appearing to have walked away from the wreckage.
Additional footage taken by onlookers depicts individuals assisting one another in escaping the debris.
The Cause of the Crash
As of now, the exact cause of the crash remains uncertain.
Initially, Russia’s aviation authorities speculated that a bird strike might have played a role in the incident. There were also reports indicating that the aircraft faced heavy fog and changed its flight path due to worsening weather conditions, though the extent of their influence on the crash is still unknown, according to the AP.
“The information I have received suggests that the aircraft altered its course between Baku and Grozny because of deteriorating weather, diverting to Aktau airport, where it ultimately crashed during landing,” stated Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday.
On Thursday, Reuters reported that investigators are considering the possibility that the aircraft might have been unintentionally targeted by Russian air defense systems, based on insights from four unnamed sources familiar with Azerbaijan’s preliminary investigation. Nearly three years into the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Russian air defense systems frequently respond to Ukrainian drones targeting areas in southern Russia. While Russian authorities have yet to confirm this theory, President Vladimir Putin has dispatched emergency response teams to the crash site.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for Putin, remarked on Thursday that “it would be premature to draw any conclusions before the investigation yields its findings,” stressing that “no one should rush to judgment.”
In light of this tragic event, Azerbaijan has suspended all flights between Baku and Grozny until the official cause of the crash is determined.
