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Dozens killed as plane crashes in Kazakhstan on Christmas Day

AT least 35 passengers were killed after an Azerbaijan Airlines jet with 67 people on board crashed on Wednesday, December 25, in western Kazakhstan

Officials said about 28 people survived the crash, which occurred near the city of Aktau, an oil and gas hub on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea.

The plane was flying from Baku, Azerbaijan to Grozny, Chechnya in southern Russia before it crashed after veering from its scheduled route due to fog.

The flight’s original route would have taken it along the western shore of the Caspian Sea.

All five crew members died, with the majority of survivors occupying seats in the plane’s tail section.

“A plane doing the Baku-Grozny route crashed near the city of Aktau. It belongs to Azerbaijan Airlines,” the Kazakh transport ministry said on Telegram.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was forced to cut short his trip to Russia, where he was scheduled to attend a summit of leaders from the Commonwealth of Independent States, a group of former Soviet nations.

He expressed his condolence over the tragedy.

Azerbaijan Airlines reported that the plane had 67 passengers on board, consisting of 62 passengers and five crew members.

The plane made an emergency landing approximately three kilometres from Aktau. According to the Kazakh Transport Ministry, the passengers consisted of 37 Azerbaijanis, six Kazakhs, three Kyrgyzstanis, and 16 Russians.



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Kazakhstan’s Emergency Ministry reported that its personnel extinguished a fire that erupted when the plane crashed.

Preliminary reports indicate that 28 survivors, including two children, are receiving medical treatment in a hospital. A team of 150 emergency responders worked at the scene.




     

     

    The ministry announced that a special flight with specialist doctors was being dispatched from Astana to provide medical care to the injured. Initially, 14 survivors were taken to the regional hospital, with five in intensive care.

    Azerbaijan’s First Lady and First Vice President, Mehriban Aliyeva, expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives in the plane crash. She extended her condolences to the victims’ families, wishing them strength and patience, and also wished a speedy recovery to those injured.

    According to reports, the plane deviated from its usual route while crossing the Caspian Sea and circled the area before crashing.

    Kazakh authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident.

    Bankole Abe

    A reporter with the ICIR
    A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance

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