The Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's office on Wednesday said it has launched a criminal case into the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) passenger plane near Aktau airport in western Kazakhstan.
"Upon the fact of the crash of an aircraft belonging to Azerbaijan Airlines in Aktau, the Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan has opened a criminal case under articles 262.3 (violation of traffic safety and rules of air transport operation, resulting in the death of two or more persons by negligence) and 314.3 (negligence resulting in the death of two or more persons). According to the Criminal Code, the investigation department of the Prosecutor General's Office has been instructed to conduct a preliminary probe," the statement read.
An AZAL Embraer 190, flying from Baku to Russia's Grozny, crashed in Kazakhstan's Aktau with 69 people on board earlier in the day. The Kazakh Ministry for Emergency Situations said that the crash site was some 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) away from the Aktau airport. The airline said the preliminary cause of the plane's crash was collision with a flock of birds.
A total of 32 people have survived the plane crash in Kazakhstan's Aktau, but this is not the final figure, the Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan said.
"According to preliminary data, 32 people are alive, but this is not the final figure," the office said in a statement.
Here is what is known so far:
️There were 62 passengers and 5 crew members on board.
32 individuals survived the crash.
The crash was caused by a collision with a flock of birds.
A total of 52 rescuers and 11 pieces of equipment from the Ministry for Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan have arrived at the crash site.
The Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan has announced that a special investigation will be conducted into the crash.
The Kazakh Transport Ministry, in turn, said that the plane belongs to Azerbaijan Airlines, adding that the plane crash will prompt a special investigation.
The captain of the crew opted to divert to an alternate airfield after a bird strike created an emergency situation on board, ultimately selecting Aktau as the destination.
️Kazakhstan's operational services are currently engaged in search and rescue efforts.
Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency is in communication with AZAL, as well as the aviation authorities of both Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
There were 37 citizens of Azerbaijan, 16 citizens of Russia, six citizens of Kazakhstan and three citizens of Kyrgyzstan on board the plane that crashed in Aktau in Kazakhstan, the Kazakh Transport Ministry said.
"According to preliminary data, there were 37 citizens of Azerbaijan, six from Kazakhstan, three from Kyrgyzstan, and 16 from Russia on board," the ministry said in a statement.
The Russian Embassy in Kazakhstan is in contact with the local authorities on the issue of providing assistance to the victims of the plane crash in Aktau, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
"The Russian embassy in Kazakhstan, as well as our foreign missions in this country, are in contact with the local authorities on the issue of providing assistance to the victims of the air crash," Zakharova said.
Russian diplomats working in Kazakhstan will monitor the situation and promptly inform on this issue, the spokeswoman added.
The state delegation of Azerbaijan was sent to Kazakhstan to find out the reasons for the crash of the AZAL plane on the spot, according to the instructions of the country's President Ilham Aliyev, the APA news agency reported on Wednesday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and expressed condolences in connection with the crash of an Azerbaijani airline plane in Aktau, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
"Unfortunately, Azerbaijani President Aliyev was forced to leave St. Petersburg. Putin has already called him and expressed his condolences in connection with the crash of the Azerbaijani plane in Aktau," Peskov told reporters.
Moscow sends sincere condolences to those who lost loved ones in the plane crash and wishes recovery to all the injured, the official added.
Putin said that the parties would coordinate the work of their aviation services on all issues related to the plane crash in Kazakhstan.
"We will coordinate the work of our special aviation services on all matters related to this tragedy," Putin said at an informal Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Russian President Vladimir Putin have held a phone conversation to discuss the plane crash in Aktau and expressed condolences in connection with the loss of life, Aliyev's office said.
"Aliyev, while on the plane, called Russian President Vladimir Putin. During the phone conversation ... Aliyev said that he could not take part in the informal meeting of the heads of state of the CIS member states at the highest level in St. Petersburg due to the crash of a passenger plane flying today on the Baku-Grozny route, and decided to return. The heads of state expressed condolences to each other, to the family members and relatives of the citizens of Azerbaijan, Russia and other countries who died in the plane crash, and wished a speedy recovery to the victims," the office said on a statement.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev have signed an order declaring December 26 a day of mourning in Azerbaijan in connection with the plane crash near Aktau, the state AzerTc news agency reported.