An Azerbaijan Airlines plane with 67 people on board crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Dec 25, 2024. The plane is an Embraer 190 with flight number J2-8243, which flew from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, but took a diversion to Aktau because of heavy fog over Grozny. The aircraft circled the Aktau airport several times before it crashed about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from the city.
Initial reports indicate 38 dead and 29 survivors in the crash. The survivors, who included two children, were rushed to the hospital, where 11 were reported to be in critical condition. Causes of the crash are not yet known, but preliminary reports from Russia’s aviation authority point to a possible bird strike. Survivors report explosion and shrapnel hitting the aircraft.
The plane was carrying passengers from several countries, including Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Both pilots and four minors are among the victims. Emergency persons secured the crash site; the black box has already been recovered.
