Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry expresses condolences over plane crash in Aktau
Tengrinews.kz – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan expressed deep condolences over the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane in Aktau, which resulted in the death of passengers.
This was stated in the official statement of the Foreign Ministry released on December, 25.
"Sharing the irreparable pain of loss of the peoples of Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia, we express solidarity and offer words of support to the families and loved ones of the victims. We wish a speedy recovery to those injured in the plane crash and their return to their families," the Ministry noted.
The diplomatic department emphasized that, on the instructions of the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the Kazakh side created a special commission and is providing the necessary assistance at the scene.
Earlier, the Azerbaijan Airlines plane, flying from Baku (Azerbaijan) to Grozny (Russia), crashed three kilometers from Aktau at 11:30 AM local time on December 25. The passenger flight was unable to land in Grozny due to heavy fog, first it was redirected to Makhachkala, and then to Aktau.
There are several versions of the cause of the crash. According to one version, the crash was caused by a collision of the plane with a flock of birds. Other media outlets report that an oxygen tank exploded on board. The Embraer lost control and crashed when it was less than 3 minutes away from Aktau Airport.
According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, there were 69 people on board, including 5 crew members:
42 citizens of Azerbaijan;
16 citizens of Russia;
6 citizens of Kazakhstan;
3 citizens of Kyrgyzstan;
two unidentified women of unknown citizenship, one about 32 years old, the other about 40 years old.
Azerbaijan Airlines also published a full list of passengers.
According to the latest data, there are 29 survivors, citizens of Azerbaijan, Russia and Kyrgyzstan.
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) is designed to carry between 96 and 114 passengers, depending on the cabin configuration. These aircraft can fly up to 4500 kilometers.
Moreover, journalists from the well-known Azerbaijani portal Minval Politika thanked Kazakhstan's rescue services for their efforts in mitigating the aftermath of the Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane crash in Aktau.