Kazakhstan's Emergency Ministry Reveals Details of AZAL Plane Crash

Kazakhstan's Emergency Situations Ministry has provided details regarding a plane crash near Aktau, The Caspian Post reports.

“Today, December 25, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. local time, the Department of Emergency Situations of Mangistau region received information from the dispatcher of Aktau airport that the aircraft Embraer 190AR of Azerbaijan Airlines, flying on the Baku-Grozny route, declared an emergency and requested a landing at Aktau airport. The expected landing time was scheduled for 11:25,” the information from the Ministry reads.

Meanwhile, forces and means of the Emergency Situations Department of the Mangistau region were immediately deployed to the scene.

“At 11:30, I received information about the crash of the plane 3 kilometers from the airport. In this regard, the forces and means of the Emergency Situations Ministry were additionally dispatched at a higher rank. Based on the Emergencies Ministry Command Center, a Republican Headquarters was established, which included representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Transport, National Guard, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other agencies. A total of 701 personnel and 82 units of equipment of civil protection services are involved in the operation. The fire was localized as of 11:45 and liquidated by 12:05. At 14:10, 29 people, including 2 children, were taken to medical facilities. At present, rescue work continues,” the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan says.

The ministry announced that an air ambulance flight from Astana has been deployed to Aktau to provide medical assistance.

To get up-to-date information about the incident, hotlines are functioning: in the Command Center of Astana city: 8-7172-55-96-21, 55-96-83; in the Emergency Situations Department of Mangistau region: 8-7292-31-90-91 At this hour, the hotlines received only 272 calls. Further updates on the progress of rescue and recovery work are expected,” the information reads.