An Azerbaijan Airlines plane carrying 67 people crashed near the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan, on December 25, killing at least 38 people, according to Kazakh authorities.
In a massive rescue operation, 29 survivors, including two children, were pulled from the rubble, Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev said. Of them, 11 are in critical condition.
According to CNN, Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 departing from Azerbaijan's capital Baku to Grozny, Russia's Chechnya region, had to make an emergency landing about 3 km from Aktau.
Footage from the scene showed dazed victims escaping from the burned-out plane. All survivors were taken to hospital and none of them were Kazakh citizens, Mr Bozumbayev said.
The bodies of the victims, most of whom were burned, have been collected and taken to the morgue for identification. There is currently only one unidentified survivor. This person is unconscious, has no documents and is being treated in hospital.
Black box found
Search teams have found the plane's black box, according to Azerbaijan's state news agency AZERTAC. The Kazakh government has set up a commission to investigate the cause of the crash and provide assistance to the families of the passengers. The agency also said it would cooperate with Azerbaijan in the investigation.
Kazakhstan's Emergency Situations Ministry said that when rescuers arrived, the plane was on fire and rescuers extinguished the fire.
Video of the crash shows the plane moving unsteadily around the airport before crashing. The plane burst into flames as it hit the ground, and shortly afterwards, bloodied passengers emerged from the wreckage.
A witness who participated in the rescue said the heartbreaking scene made her cry. “The front of the plane was on fire. We were rescuing survivors. They were covered in blood and crying for help,” said witness Elmira.
Elmira said there were all ages among the survivors, from men and women to teenagers and a small girl.
Open investigation
According to Russia's aviation watchdog, initial information suggests that the pilot decided to make an emergency landing after the plane hit a bird. However, the reason why the plane flew over the sea is not yet clear.
Kazakhstan's Transport Ministry said there were 62 passengers and five crew members on board. Of those, 37 were Azerbaijani citizens, six were Kazakhs, three were Kyrgyz and 16 were Russians.
Azerbaijan Airlines has suspended flights from Baku to Grozny and Makhachkala until the investigation is complete.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences and said a plane from the Russian Emergencies Ministry was flying to Kazakhstan to provide medical assistance. “I hope the injured will recover soon, and of course, a thorough investigation will be carried out,” Putin said.
