Thu Dec 26 04:36:12 UTC 2024: ## Azerbaijan Mourns as 38 Killed in Caspian Sea Plane Crash
**Aktau, Kazakhstan/Baku, Azerbaijan –** At least 38 people died when an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 passenger plane crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday morning. The flight, J2-8243, was en route from Baku to Grozny, Chechnya, but diverted due to heavy fog in Grozny and attempted an emergency landing in Aktau. The aircraft, carrying 62 passengers and five crew members of four nationalities, crashed approximately 3 kilometers from the city.
Thirty-two survivors, including two children, are receiving treatment in hospitals, many with critical injuries. Eyewitness accounts and video footage show some survivors escaping the wreckage themselves. Both pilots are believed to have perished. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, with initial reports suggesting a possible bird strike leading to an onboard emergency. However, the impact of heavy fog in Grozny, the closure of a nearby Russian airport due to drone activity, and potential GPS jamming are also being considered.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev declared December 26 a national day of mourning and has ordered a full investigation. A team including the deputy prosecutor general, the emergency situations minister, and the vice president of Azerbaijan Airlines has been dispatched to Kazakhstan to assist with the investigation. The flight recorders (“black boxes”) have been recovered. Kazakhstan has also formed a government commission to investigate and provide support to victims’ families. Embraer, the aircraft manufacturer, has offered its cooperation. Azerbaijan Airlines has suspended flights between Baku and both Grozny and Makhachkala pending the investigation’s conclusion and has established a hotline for families. The investigation will focus on potential technical malfunctions and the impact of airspace limitations and weather conditions.
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