Miracle Amidst Devastation: Azerbaijani Airliner Tragedy Yields 32 Survivors in Kazakhstan Crash

An Azerbaijani passenger plane with 67 individuals on board crashed in Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday, resulting in no fewer than 32 survivors, as stated by officials. More than 30 individuals are presumed dead.

Kazakhstan’s Emergency Ministry indicated in a Telegram statement that those aboard included five crew members. At least 29 individuals have been admitted to hospitals, the ministry informed Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti.

The Russian news agency Interfax reported that medical personnel mentioned four bodies have been retrieved, with emergency responders on-site indicating that both pilots, based on preliminary evaluations, did not survive the incident.

The Embraer 190 aircraft performed an emergency landing 3 km from the city, Azerbaijan Airlines declared earlier.

Kazakhstan’s Emergency Ministry initially reported that 25 individuals survived the incident, later updating the figure to 27, then 28, and ultimately 29 as the search and rescue efforts progressed at the crash site, thereby reducing the estimated fatalities.

The Prosecutor General’s Office in Azerbaijan subsequently announced that at least 32 individuals had survived the crash, clarifying that the total was not definitive.

The count of survivors implies that over 30 individuals may have lost their lives.

The aircraft was initially intended to fly from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Grozny, a city in Russia’s North Caucasus. According to Azerbaijan Airlines, 37 of the passengers were citizens of Azerbaijan. Additionally, there were 16 Russians, six Kazakhs, and three Kyrgyz nationals aboard.

As reported by RIA Novosti, Russia’s civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, indicated that early information suggested the pilot opted to divert to Aktau following a bird strike that created an “emergency situation on board”.

Mobile phone videos circulating online appeared to depict the aircraft executing a steep descent before crumpling into the ground in a fireball. Other footage demonstrated parts of the fuselage separated from the wings and the rest of the aircraft, lying overturned in the grass. The footage matched the colors of the plane and its registration number.

Some videos shared on social media exhibited survivors assisting fellow passengers away from the remnants of the plane.

Flight-tracking information from FlightRadar24.com illustrated the aircraft performing what seemed to be a right turn as it approached Aktau airport, with its altitude fluctuating considerably in the final moments before impact.

FlightRadar24 also noted in a separate online update that the plane experienced “severe GPS interference,” which “resulted in the aircraft sending inaccurate ADS-B data,” referring to the data enabling flight-tracking services to monitor aircraft in transit. Russia has previously faced accusations of jamming GPS signals in the broader area.

Embraer did not promptly reply to requests for comment early Wednesday morning. In a statement, Azerbaijan Airlines mentioned it would keep the public informed and altered its social media profiles to solid black.

Azerbaijan’s state news agency, Azertac, reported that a formal delegation consisting of the emergency situations minister, the deputy prosecutor general, and the vice president of Azerbaijan Airlines had been sent to Aktau for an “on-site investigation”.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who was en route to St. Petersburg, returned to Azerbaijan upon learning of the crash, as stated by the president’s press office. Aliyev was scheduled to attend an informal gathering of leaders from the Commonwealth of Independent States, a group of former Soviet states established following the Soviet Union’s dissolution.

Aliyev conveyed his sympathies to the victims’ families via a statement on social media. “It is with profound sorrow that I extend my condolences to the families of the victims and wish a swift recovery to those injured,” he posted.

Russian President Vladimir Putin communicated with Aliyev by phone to express his condolences, as reported by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov to the media.

Both Kazakhstani and Azerbaijani officials are investigating the crash. Embraer advised The Associated Press in a statement that the company is “prepared to assist all relevant authorities.”