Chinese media, citing the Chinese Consulate General in Aktobe, confirmed that there were no Chinese nationals onboard the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in western Kazakhstan.
The ill-fated flight, originally scheduled to travel from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, crashed near the outskirts of the western Kazakh city of Aktau before landing. The flight carried 62 passengers and 5 crew members, with 38 fatalities and 29 survivors.
Kazakhstan's Minister of Transport confirmed the following breakdown of passengers: 37 Azerbaijan nationals (23 dead, 14 survived), 3 Kyrgyz nationals (all survived), 16 Russians (7 dead, 9 survived), and 6 Kazakh passengers (all deceased). Among the 5 crew members, 2 perished, while 3 survived.
Russian media quoted a survivor who said they were seated in the tail section of the plane. According to the survivor, as the aircraft prepared to land in Grozny, it suddenly ascended rapidly to gain altitude. Dense fog surrounded the area, and the crew attempted to land the plane thrice, failing. On the third attempt, an explosion reportedly occurred. Survivors also described debris scattered throughout the cabin. Following these failed attempts, the crew diverted the plane towards Aktau Airport, which later crashed.
Reports confirm that the flight recorders (black boxes) have been recovered. Kazakh authorities stated that they would collaborate with the aircraft manufacturer to investigate the cause of the crash.
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