An Azerbaijani airliner crashes in Kazakhstan after changing course, killing 38 of the 67 people on board.
Here’s what you need to know about crashes and speculation about possible causes.
How did the plane crash?
The Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 was on its way from Azerbaijan’s capital Baku to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus on Wednesday when it was diverted for reasons that are not yet fully clear. After flying east over the Caspian Sea, it crashed while attempting to land in Aktau, Kazakhstan.
The plane crashed near the coast, about 3 kilometers from Aktau. Mobile phone footage circulating online showed the plane plummeting before slamming into the ground and exploding in a fireball.
Rescue teams transported 29 people who survived the accident to the hospital.
How did Azerbaijan react?
Azerbaijan observed a national day of mourning on Thursday. Flags were lowered across the country and traffic across the country came to a halt at midday, with ships and trains blaring signals.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev said at a press conference on Wednesday that weather had forced the plane to deviate from its planned course.
What do they say about possible causes?
Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Russian authorities said they were investigating the crash. Embraer issued a statement to The Associated Press saying the company is “ready to assist all relevant authorities.”
Russian civil aviation authority Rosaviasia said preliminary information indicated the pilots diverted to Aktau after a collision with a bird caused an emergency situation on board.
Some commentators claim that holes seen in the tail of the plane photographed after the crash indicate it may have been hit by a Russian air defense system that fended off a Ukrainian drone attack. did.
Osprey Flight Solutions, a UK-based aviation security company, warned its customers that “the Azerbaijan flight was likely shot down by Russian military air defense systems.”
Osprey CEO Andrew Nicholson said the company issued more than 200 alerts regarding drone attacks and air defense systems in Russia during the war.
“It would be a mistake for investigators to make assumptions before making a decision,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday, when asked about claims that the plane was fired upon by air defense facilities.
Officials in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan similarly declined to comment on the possible cause of the crash, saying it was up to investigators to determine it.
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