Passenger Plane Crash in Kazakhstan Leaves 39 Dead, 28 Injured

An Embraer 190 passenger plane operated by Azerbaijan Airlines crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday, killing 39 people and injuring 28, including two children. The aircraft, carrying 62 passengers and five crew members, was flying from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia.

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations confirmed the fire at the crash site had been extinguished, and emergency teams transported the injured to a local hospital. Efforts to recover the deceased are underway. Drone footage showed emergency vehicles surrounding the wreckage and evidence of casualties.

The airline reported that flight J2-8243 attempted an emergency landing about 3 kilometers from Aktau, with preliminary information from Russia’s aviation authorities pointing to a bird strike as a possible cause.

A government commission has been established in Kazakhstan to investigate the crash, and officials pledged to assist victims’ families and cooperate with Azerbaijani authorities in the inquiry.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev returned home early from a summit in Russia after news of the tragedy, while Ramzan Kadyrov, Chechnya’s Kremlin-backed leader, expressed condolences and noted some injured are in critical condition.

The incident highlights ongoing concerns regarding aviation safety and emergency preparedness in the region.