Azerbaijan Airlines Plane crash: Passenger captures harrowing moments before and after mishap in Kazakhstan, watch video

A tragic accident involving an Azerbaijan Airlines flight occurred near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday. The Embraer 190 jet, which was traveling from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, crashed after being rerouted due to heavy fog. The plane was carrying 62 passengers and five crew members. Sadly, 38 people lost their lives, while 29 survivors were hospitalized. Authorities have warned that the numbers could still change as more information becomes available.

Flight Radar data revealed that the plane had veered off its original northwest route. Instead of flying directly to Grozny, it crossed the Caspian Sea and circled near Aktau before crashing. The impact left the plane in flames upon hitting the shoreline, and a thick plume of black smoke was seen rising from the wreckage. 

A passenger captured the final moments of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane before its crash in Kazakhstan. pic.twitter.com/OOJ5Wpagbq

— Globe Eye News (@GlobeEyeNews) December 25, 2024

Videos captured during the incident, shared on social media and by the Russian outlet RT, depict the terrifying moments before and after the crash. A video captures a man praying as panic spreads among passengers. It has not been independently verified yet.

A witness near the crash site shared her harrowing experience. She described seeing injured and bloodied passengers stumbling away from the wreckage. One girl pleaded for help to save her mother, who was still inside the wrecked plane.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash. Initially, Azerbaijan Airlines suggested a bird strike might have caused the accident but later retracted the statement. The Kazakh transport ministry reported that the passengers included 37 Azerbaijan nationals, six Kazakh citizens, three from Kyrgyzstan, and 16 Russians.

Experts are conducting thorough analyses to determine the exact cause of the crash. Meanwhile, images and videos from the scene highlight the devastation, showing parts of the aircraft's fuselage and the immense pain of survivors.