In brief
On December 25, 2024, a passenger jet crashed near Aktau, resulting in injuries and a race against time to save lives.
A passenger aircraft operated by Azerbaijan’s Azal airlines met with disaster on Wednesday, crashing close to Aktau in Kazakhstan. The plane was carrying 62 passengers and five crew members during its rerouted journey from Baku to Grozny due to adverse weather conditions. Reports from Kazakhstan’s health care minister confirmed six survivors, while 25 individuals sustained injuries, with five critically hurt. The Embraer-190 aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing approximately 1.8 miles from Aktau, as indicated in the statement issued by the airline. Immediately following the crash, Kazakhstan’s emergency situations ministry launched an investigation to determine the cause of the incident, while firefighters and emergency teams were promptly deployed to the crash site to assist with rescue operations and care for the injured. As details continue to emerge, the implications of the crash are being closely monitored by local authorities and aviation experts alike. Ivan Nechepurenko reports on the matter, bringing insights from Moscow and regional updates regarding this unfortunate event.