Aircraft crashed in Kazakhstan with 67 people on board; experts suspect crash caused by Russian anti-aircraft system
Images and videos of holes that hit the (Brazilian Aeronautics Company) plane operated by began circulating on the internet after the on Wednesday (Dec 25, 2024).
The plane was carrying 67 people and crashed near the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan. It left at least 28 people dead. The flight left Azerbaijan and was destined for Russia. Sources told Reuters that the plane crashed due to shots from Russia’s Pantsir-S anti-aircraft system.
According to , official sources linked to the disaster investigation said that some of the passengers who survived the accident with the Azerbaijan Airlines E190 would have heard an explosion as they approached Grozny, in the Russian region of Chechnya.
In addition, the agency also cited news from the international channel ANewsZbased in Azerbaijan, which claims to have confirmed with a Russian military source that “The damage to the plane suggests that it may have been accidentally hit by an air defense missile system (SAM)”.
Look:
Damage caused to the Embraer plane before the crash
Watch (1min33sec):
Artillery marks in the fuselage show that this is probably the reason for the crash of the Embraer plane in Kazakhstan.
— Pedro Ronchi (@PedroRonchi2)
The Russian aviation oversight body said the pilot’s attempt at an emergency landing took place after the aircraft collided with birds. Authorities in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan did not provide details on why the plane crashed.
The Kremlin declined to respond to questions raised by the British agency regarding the alleged use of anti-aircraft weapons against the Embraer plane.
THE ACCIDENT
The flight was operated by Azerbaijan Airlines. It departed from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, and was destined for the city of Grozny, in Russia.
At least 38 people died. Authorities in Azerbaijan, where the flight departed, say there are at least 28 survivors.
Kazakhstan’s Emergencies Ministry said in a statement that survivors, including two children, were taken to emergency rooms.
Azerbaijan Airlines said the jet had to make an emergency landing near Aktau after hitting a bird. The city is on the side of the Caspian Sea that is opposite Azerbaijan and Russia.
