38 die, 29 survive as Azerbaijani plane crashes

International

AN Azerbaijani airliner carrying 67 passengers and crew crashed near the Kazakhstani city of Aktau on Wednesday, resulting in 38 deaths, according to Kazakh authorities.

Twenty-nine passengers survived but were injured.

The plane, an Embraer 190, was traveling from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny in Russia's North Caucasus region when it was forced to divert due to worsening weather conditions.

The flight, operated by Azerbaijan Airlines, was three kilometers (1.8 miles) from Aktau when it attempted an emergency landing but crashed just short of the airport, a CNN report stated.

Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Kanat Bozumbaev, confirmed the death toll and number of survivors during a meeting with Azerbaijani officials.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that it was too early to determine the cause of the crash but acknowledged that adverse weather had played a role in the diversion.

“The plane changed its course due to worsening weather and headed toward Aktau,” Aliyev said in the CNN report.

Russian aviation authorities also noted that preliminary information suggested the aircraft had been struck by a bird, triggering an emergency.

The passengers on board included 42 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russians, 6 Kazakhs, and 3 Kyrgyz nationals.

Earlier reports from Azerbaijan’s prosecutor general’s office had indicated that 32 people survived the crash, though the final number was still under review.

Rescue operations have been underway since the incident, with both Kazakh and Azerbaijani officials working to investigate the cause of the crash.(CMM)