Horrific Video Shows Azerbaijan Plane Turns Into Fireball On Christmas Day, 60 Feared Dead

Astana: An Azerbaijan Airlines flight, carrying around 72 passengers, crashed near Aktau Airport in Kazakhstan on Wednesday. Around 60 people are feared dead in the crash. The flight from Baku in Azerbaijan was on its way to Grozny in Russia when the tragedy unfolded. 

It is learnt that the Embraer 190 aircraft had requested an emergency landing before it crashed. The Ministry for Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan has confirmed the crash and fire and has assured of special probe.

According to sources, the plane carried 67 passengers and five crew members. Media reports quoting Kazakhstan's Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that a fire had erupted at the crash site. According to initial reports, six people have survived the plane crash, Kazakhstan's Emergencies Ministry said. 

The plane was originally scheduled to travel from the Azerbaijani capital of Baku to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus. News agency AP quoting a spokesperson for Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency , reported that preliminary information showed that the pilot had chosen to divert to Aktau after a bird strike on the aircraft led to “an emergency situation on board”.

Azerbaijan Airlines Issues Statement

Embraer did not immediately respond to a request for comment early Wednesday morning. In a statement, Azerbaijan Airlines said it would keep members of the public updated and changed its social media banners to solid black.  According to Azerbaijan Airlines, the Embraer 190 aircraft made an emergency landing at Aktau airport. Media reports, citing Azerbaijan Airlines, the country's flag carrier, said the flight had 'made an emergency landing' around three kilometres from Aktau, an oil and gas hub on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea.

Video Footage Shows Exact Moment of Plane Crash

A video footage has surfaced online which shows an aircraft crashing to the ground and turning into a fireball. Six people are reported to have survived the crash, authorities said. The video shows that the aircraft hit the ground and turned into a fireball during emerging landing  in Kazakhstan. A thick black smoke covered the air after the horrific incident.
 

It is learnt that the flight had been rerouted due to fog in Grozny. Soon after the crash incident, rescue and relief teams rushed to the site and engaged in fire fighting and rescue operations. 

The plane went up in flames and broke into several parts on landing in Aktau, in western Kazakhstan. The country's emergency situations ministry said its personnel were putting out a fire at the site. 

Kazakhstan Govt Assures of Special Investigation

The Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan has said that a special investigation will be conducted in connection with the crash and as rescue operations are underway, 52 rescuers and 11 pieces of equipment of the Ministry for Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan arrived at the crash site.

Rescue and recovery operations are ongoing, and authorities are investigating the cause of the incident.  More details are awaited.