Tengrinews.kz - On December 25, an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane crashed in Aktau. We tell you what is known at this minute.
The first reports that the plane flying from Baku to Grozny requested an emergency landing in Aktau appeared at 11:20 AM.
According to the press service of the Grozny airport, the reason for the change in route was thick fog. The plane was first redirected to Makhachkala, and then to Aktau.
At first it was reported that the plane made a hard landing, later it became known that the aircraft fell. Footage from the crash site has also appeared.
According to media reports, the cause of the disaster was the plane colliding with a flock of birds.
According to preliminary official information, there were 67 people on board. According to the Ministry for Emergency Situations, there are survivors among the passengers. As reported by "Kazinform" International News Agency, according to preliminary data, there were 37 citizens of Azerbaijan, 6 of Kazakhstan, 3 of Kyrgyzstan, and 16 of the Russian Federation on board.
According to Minister of Healthcare Akmaral Alnazarova, 14 ambulance teams have left for the scene in Aktau.
"A national headquarters has been created. A vice minister has flown to the scene, another vice minister is coordinating the work here. We have now prepared air ambulances to leave and send trauma specialists and neurosurgeons there, and we will prepare and transport them if necessary," Alnazarova said on the sidelines of the Mazhilis.
According to the Health Department of the Mangistau Region, 12 people (one of them a child) with various injuries were taken from the crash site to the regional hospital.
By this hour, rescuers have extinguished the fire at the crash site in Aktau.
The circumstances of the incident are being clarified. A special investigation will be conducted, the Ministry of Transport reported.
What is known about the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed near Aktau
The aircraft that crashed near Aktau was an Embraer ERJ-190, a twin-engine jet widely used for short and medium-haul flights. The aircraft are manufactured by a Brazilian company. The ERJ-190 (E190) model is designed to carry between 96 and 114 passengers, depending on the cabin configuration. These aircraft can fly up to 4,500 kilometers.
According to FlightAware, the aircraft took off from the airport 11 minutes ahead of schedule. While cruising over the Caspian Sea, the aircraft issued an emergency squawk 7700.
Recall: On the morning of December 25, an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane crashed near Aktau.
