Seven survivors returned to Azerbaijan on Thursday as the country is holding a 24-hour day of mourning following the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people.
Rumors have been circulating that the “Embraer 190” plane crashed while flying from Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, to Grozny in Russia’s Chechnya region with 67 people on board after diverting the route and attempting to make an emergency landing near the city of Aqtau in western Kazakhstan.
Some experts cited the apparent holes in the tail of the plane as a possible sign that it may have been hit by Russian air defense systems engaged in preventing drone attacks from Ukraine.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told news agencies that indications indicate a Russian anti-aircraft system hit the plane, without providing any evidence of this.
Azerbaijani and Kazakh authorities have launched an investigation to find out the cause of the accident. Officials said the plane’s cockpit recorder has been found and called for caution about laying blame before the facts are established.
Officials in Baku said the injured arrived on a special flight organized by Azerbaijan’s Ministry of emergency Affairs and that they were accompanied by professional doctors.
The condition of the injured, who were among the 29 survivors of the crash, is not yet known.
Ayhan Solomon, Azerbaijan’s high consul in Aqtau, told reporters that 26 of the dead are Azerbaijani citizens.
He added that initial reports indicate that 16 Azerbaijani citizens survived the crash.
” Of these, 10 to 12 are in good condition, while the others remain in critical but stable condition, ” he added.
The Supervisory Council of Azerbaijan Airlines announced on December 26 that the families of those who lost their lives would be compensated by $ 23,460 and the injured by $ 11,730.
Talgat Lastaev, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Transport Minister, told RFE / RL that experts are expected to arrive at the scene on December 27 to assess the next steps regarding the black box.
Officials said it usually takes about two weeks to fully evaluate a black box, although different conditions can affect this duration.
Commenting on unconfirmed reports that the plane may have been brought down by a missile, the chairman of Kazakhstan’s Senate, Maulen Ashimbaev, said it was “impossible” to say what may have damaged the plane until the investigation was complete.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said:”We have to wait for the conclusion of the investigation”. Peskov added that it was” wrong ” to speculate before investigators drew their conclusions.
According to the officials, in addition to the 42 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russian citizens, six from Kazakhstan and three citizens from Kyrgyzstan, were also on board the flight “J2-8243”.
Among the survivors are nine Russian nationals who were flown to Moscow on December 26 by the Russian Ministry of emergency situations. According to Russian health authorities, three of the Russian survivors are in critical condition.
Azerbaijan Airlines has suspended all flights from Baku to Chechnya until investigations into the tragedy are carried out.
Russia’s Interfax news agency quoted officials as saying the plane had passed all checks in October and the pilot had “extensive experience” with over 15,000 hours of flight.
