Harrowing Footage Shows Azerbaijan Airlines Crashing, Killing 38 People

SRINAGAR: An Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday, killing 38 of the 67 people on board. The Embraer 190 aircraft, scheduled to fly from Baku to Grozny in southern Russia, veered off its intended route and went down three kilometres from Aktau, an oil and gas hub on the Caspian Sea’s eastern shore.

Flight data revealed the plane deviated from its course and circled over the area before the crash. Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev described the situation as “not very good,” confirming the death toll. Kazakhstan’s Emergency Situations Ministry reported that 29 survivors, including two children, were hospitalised following the incident. The survivors were predominantly seated in the rear section of the aircraft.

Among the victims were 23 of the 37 Azerbaijani nationals onboard, along with all six Kazakh citizens. Seven of the 16 Russian passengers and two of the five crew members also lost their lives. Notably, all three Kyrgyz nationals onboard survived.