Azerbaijan Airlines issued a statement today regarding flight J28243

Azerbaijan Airlines issued a statement today regarding flight J28243, expressing their sorrow over the incident and the 38 fatalities reported so far.

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«We are deeply saddened by the incident that occurred today involving an Embraer 190 near Aktau, Kazakhstan,» the company’s statement reads.

«We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families, friends, colleagues, and loved ones affected by this incident. We are closely monitoring the situation and remain fully committed to supporting the relevant authorities,» it adds.

So far, at least 38 people have died in the Azerbaijan Airlines crash near the city of Aktau in western Kazakhstan, as confirmed by Azerbaijani authorities.

Of the remaining 29 survivors, including two children and citizens from Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, all have been hospitalized, with 11 in critical condition, according to the Russian state news agency Ria Novosti.

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Despite initial reports suggesting a lower death toll, Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbaev announced the official number following a meeting with officials from his country, hours after the incident.

Both pilots are among the deceased, though other victims have yet to be identified as «the bodies are in poor condition, most of them burned.»

The Embraer 190 aircraft departed from Baku bound for Grozny, the capital of the Chechen Republic in the Caucasus, as reported by the airline. However, it ended up making an emergency landing about three kilometers from the city of Aktau, on the shores of the Caspian Sea in western Kazakhstan.

The preliminary investigation, led by the Russian civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia, indicated that just a couple of hours into the flight, the aircraft began reporting problems. Due to heavy fog in Grozny, it was diverted to Makhachkala in Russia’s Dagestan region, but the route was eventually redirected toward the Aktau area. It is believed that the aircraft suffered an unspecified impact, which led to «an emergency situation on board.»