A tragic incident unfolded on Wednesday when an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane crashed in Kazakhstan, resulting in over 30 fatalities. However, it is called the “Miracle of Christmas” because nearly half of the passengers survived, a rare case of an airplane crash.
According to Kazakhstan and Azerbaijani authorities, as well as reports from TASS and Reuters, the Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2 8243 departed from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, en route to Grozny, Russia, crashed near Aktau in western Kazakhstan that morning.
Footage from the scene shows the aircraft descending at a shallow angle for an emergency landing, and the center of the aircraft glides to the ground. The plane then exploded, becoming engulfed in flames with thick black smoke billowing into the sky.
Azerbaijan Airlines confirmed that the flight had 67 people on board, including 62 passengers and 5 crew members. Kazakh authorities reported that more than 30 individuals are believed to have died, with 4 bodies recovered, and 29 people are receiving hospital treatment. Azerbaijani officials counted at least 32 survivors. The numbers continue to fluctuate as the investigation is in its early stages. The Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan stated that the passengers included 37 from Azerbaijan, 16 from Russia, 6 from Kazakhstan, and 3 from Kyrgyzstan.
Despite the crash and subsequent explosion, the survival of nearly half the passengers has sparked reactions on social media that a miracle occurred amid the tragedy.
TASS reported that while the middle and front sections of the aircraft were completely destroyed in the explosion, the rear section remained relatively intact. This suggests that many survivors were likely seated in the back of the plane.
The swift response from Kazakhstan’s rescue authorities, who deployed firefighting helicopters to extinguish the blaze and prevent further explosions, seems to be why there were more survivors than expected. Fortunately, the crash site was located on a wide beach on the coast of the Caspian Sea, preventing the aircraft from colliding with buildings or other ground structures after the initial impact.
Questions have arisen regarding why the passenger plane, traveling north along the western coast of the Caspian Sea, turned eastward to cross the sea towards Aktau, Kazakhstan.
According to Russian aviation authorities, initial investigations suggest that the aircraft encountered an emergency involving a bird strike during the flight. This led to a failed emergency landing attempt and subsequent crash.
Reuters reported that on the same morning, drone attacks occurred in North Ossetia and Ingushetia, autonomous republics in southern Russia, noting that airports in the area had previously closed due to similar drone attacks. However, the connection between the drone attacks and this incident remains unclear. The Kazakh authorities have formed a government committee to investigate the crash and plan to collaborate with Azerbaijan.
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