In a tragic aviation incident today, an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, resulting in multiple casualties. The Embraer 190 aircraft, carrying 67 people including crew members, veered off its scheduled route from Baku to Grozny before going down approximately 3 kilometers from Aktau, a major oil and gas center on the Caspian Sea's eastern shore.

Kazakh authorities have confirmed 28 survivors, including two children, who have been hospitalized. The flight was carrying a multinational group of passengers: 37 from Azerbaijan, 16 from Russia, six from Kazakhstan, and three from Kyrgyzstan, along with five crew members.

Emergency responders quickly mobilized to the crash site, with 150 workers deployed to handle the situation. The emergency situations ministry reported successfully extinguishing a fire that broke out following the crash. The Kazakh health ministry has dispatched a special flight from Astana carrying specialist medical personnel to provide advanced care for the injured.

Flight radar data revealed that the aircraft deviated significantly from its intended path, crossing the Caspian Sea away from its normal route before circling the area where it ultimately crashed.

The incident has prompted immediate response from top leadership. Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev cut short his visit to Russia, where he was scheduled to attend a Commonwealth of Independent States summit, to address the crisis. He has ordered an urgent investigation into the disaster's causes.

First Vice-President and First Lady of Azerbaijan, Mehriban Aliyeva, expressed her condolences on Instagram, stating she was "deeply saddened by the news of the tragic loss of lives." Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov also offered his sympathies to the families of the deceased.

Kazakh authorities have launched an official investigation into the crash. The regional hospital is currently treating survivors, with five patients in intensive care.

Source: FMT