The Azerbaijan Airways airplane that crashed killing 38 individuals was downed by a Russian air defence system, in response to 4 Reuters sources.
The Embraer 190 passenger jet was en route from Azerbaijan‘s capital of Baku to the Russian metropolis of Grozny within the North Caucasus on Wednesday when it modified course.
It crashed round two miles from Aktau in Kazakhstan whereas attempting to land after flying east throughout the Caspian Sea, killing 38 individuals and injuring the entire different 29 survivors.
The plane had diverted from an space of Russia by which Moscow has used air defence programs towards Ukrainian drone strikes in latest months.
Cell phone footage circulating on-line appeared to point out the airplane making a steep descent earlier than smashing into the bottom in a fireball.
Video exhibits inside airplane earlier than crash
Different footage confirmed a part of its fuselage ripped away from the wings and the remainder of the plane mendacity upside within the grass.
Individuals could be heard praying as oxygen masks are lowered within the planes cabin in footage filmed by a passenger earlier than the plane went down.
Euronews, citing Azerbaijani authorities sources, reported a preliminary investigation discovered a Russian surface-to-air missile was fired on the airplane throughout drone air exercise above Grozny.
Shrapnel hit the airplane because the missile exploded subsequent to the plane mid-flight, in response to the community.
The broken plane wasn’t allowed to land at any Russian airports, regardless of requests from the pilots for an emergency touchdown, and it was ordered to fly in direction of Aktau, the sources mentioned.
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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned earlier on Thursday it will be improper to invest earlier than the tip of the investigation into the reason for the crash.
Russian, Azerbaijani and Kazakhstani officers have all referred to as for investigations into the crash.
Russia’s civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, mentioned preliminary data indicated the pilots diverted to Aktau after a chicken strike led to an emergency on board.
Azerbaijan is observing a nationwide day of mourning, with flags lowered throughout the nation on Thursday.
Visitors stopped at midday, and indicators have been sounded from ships and trains because the nation noticed a nationwide second of silence.
Nazakat Asadova, the spouse of survivor Zulfugar Asadov, mentioned: “He obtained up early within the morning, prayed early and left the home at virtually 6 o’clock.
“He mentioned, God prepared, at 12 to 1pm, I will be touchdown already. Then we heard on TV that the airplane had crashed.
“Then his identify got here up on TV and on the lists. They mentioned that folks died, however Zulfugar Asadov survived.”
