A tragic plane crash in Aqtau, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday claimed at least 30 lives, leaving a scene of devastation and sorrow.
Remarkably, 32 people survived the initial impact of the accident, with 22, including an 11-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy, receiving hospital treatment for injuries.
The aircraft, an Embraer ERJ-190 operated by Azerbaijan Airlines, carried 62 passengers and five crew members.
It was en route from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, when heavy fog at its destination forced it to divert to Aqtau, located approximately 1,800 km away.
As the plane approached Aqtau International Airport, an emergency landing was requested due to an unspecified mid-flight crisis.
Preliminary investigations point to a collision with a flock of birds, which may have caused significant damage to one engine and disrupted the aircraft’s steering system.
Eyewitness accounts and haunting footage depict the jet in a precarious state, struggling to maintain altitude and speed.
Despite the pilots’ attempts to regain control, the aircraft ultimately nosedived, crashing three kilometers from the airport. It erupted into flames on impact, breaking apart amid a fiery explosion.
Videos circulated online capture the harrowing moments before the crash. One clip shared by BNO News Live shows the plane lurching erratically in mid-air. For a fleeting moment, it appeared to recover and gain altitude before plunging steeply, tilting to the right, and slamming into the ground in a catastrophic blaze.
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Emergencies reported that the victims included 37 Azerbaijani nationals, six Kazakhs, three Kyrgyz, and 16 Russians.
Flight tracking data from Flight Radar revealed the plane deviating from its intended path across the Caspian Sea before circling near the crash site.
The aftermath was grim, with photos of the crash site showing the wreckage scattered across a barren field marked by dirt roads. Pieces of the fuselage and tail lay in charred disarray.
Videos from ORDA, a Kazakh news agency, captured emergency workers rescuing survivors from the wreckage. Among them were a bloodied elderly man and a woman in shock, wandering amidst the debris.
A young boy, his clothes stained with blood and dirt, was seen being carried to safety by rescue personnel.
Emergency teams battled flames engulfing parts of the wreckage, which burned for an extended period before being extinguished.
In response to the tragedy, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev cut short his visit to Russia, where he was scheduled to attend a Commonwealth of Independent States summit.
His wife, Mehriban Aliyeva, who is also Azerbaijan’s first Vice President, expressed her grief, stating she was “deeply saddened by the news of the tragic loss of lives in the plane crash near Aktau.”
The crash underscores the immense risks associated with aviation emergencies and the profound impact such tragedies have on the global community.
