It was claimed that the Russians shot down the plane: Statement regarding the passenger plane that crashed in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan's Minister of Transport Marat Karabayev made a comprehensive statement regarding the crash of an Embraer 190 type passenger plane belonging to the Azerbaijani airline company AZAL, which was performing a Baku-Grozny flight, near the city of Aktau on December 25.

Stating that the first signal was received by Russia's Rostov air traffic control center at 10:43, Karabayev shared the development of the accident and the critical moments.

FIRST SIGNAL

It was learned at 10:43 that the crew had decided to land in Aktau due to poor weather conditions in Makhachkala and Baku.

OXYGEN TANK EXPLODED ON THE PLANE

According to information received from the Rostov flight director at 10:53, an oxygen tank had exploded on the plane, and the passengers had lost consciousness.

The crew attempted to land on the Aktau runway twice, but there was a loss of altitude and instability in the flight path. The final communication took place at 11:28.

Karabayev stated that all emergency teams at Aktau Airport were rapidly mobilized and that attempts were made to establish visual contact by turning on the runway lights. However, despite all the efforts of the crew, the plane hit the ground and the tragedy occurred.

Aktau Regional Transport Prosecutor Abılaybek Ordabayev said that detailed investigations are continuing at the crash site, which is spread over a wide area of 4,000 square meters. He stated that in the work carried out in cooperation with Kazakh and Azerbaijani authorities, the plane's two black boxes have been found and the identities of 9 of the 38 victims have been determined.

Interviews with the 29 surviving passengers and witnesses are ongoing. The wreckage of the plane and other elements are being examined in detail.

IT WAS ALLEGED THAT RUSSIA ATTACKED

Azerbaijani officials, in their statement to AA, confirmed the allegation that the plane was shot down by a Russian "Pantsir-S" air defense system.

There were a total of 67 people on the AZAL Airlines plane, including 5 crew members and 62 passengers. While 38 people lost their lives in the accident, 29 people survived. The investigation into the accident is ongoing.