Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 Crashes in Kazakhstan
On December 25, 2024, Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243, carrying 62 passengers and five crew members, tragically crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan, claiming the lives of 38 individuals onboard. The flight, traveling from Baku to Grozny in Chechnya, was rerouted due to fog conditions in Grozny and subsequently went down approximately three kilometers from Aktau, resulting in a fireball upon impact.
Initial investigations suggest that a bird strike may have contributed to the crash, leading the pilot to attempt an emergency landing. Reports indicate that most survivors were situated in the tail section of the aircraft, with at least 29 individuals rescued. Among the casualties were both pilots, as confirmed by emergency services.
The passenger list included a diverse group, comprising 37 Azerbaijani, 16 Russian, six Kazakh, and three Kyrgyz citizens. In the aftermath of the incident, Azerbaijan Airlines established a hotline for families and changed their social media banners to black in mourning.
Kazakh emergency services reported that over 50 rescuers responded to the scene, extinguishing the fire and providing assistance to injured survivors. Among those rescued, 22 survivors have been hospitalized, with five in critical condition.
Expressions of condolences poured in, including a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who reached out to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev regarding the tragic event. In light of the disaster, Azerbaijan Airlines has temporarily suspended flights to two southern Russian cities.
The aviation community is awaiting further investigation results, as the preliminary data also indicated that the aircraft experienced strong GPS jamming, complicating its tracking during the flight.
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