Three crew members survive AZAL plane crash in Aktau

Three crew members aboard the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) Embraer 190 aircraft that crashed near Aktau on December 25 have survived, while two others tragically lost their lives.

Kazakhstan's Minister of Transport, Marat Karabayev, confirmed the information during a briefing, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

He reported that the aircraft, which was carrying 67 people in total saw 38 fatalities and 29 survivors.

"There were 67 people on board, including 62 passengers and five crew members. Sadly, 38 people lost their lives, while 29 survived. Of the five crew members, two perished, and three survived," Karabayev noted.

Earlier today, on December 25, an Embraer 190 aircraft of Azerbaijan Airlines, operating Baku-Grozny flight No. J2-8243, crashed in Aktau.

A total of 67 people were onboard the Azerbaijan Airlines flight, including 62 passengers and 5 crew members, according to a statement from AZAL’s press service.

Among those aboard the plane were 37 Azerbaijan nationals, 16 Russian citizens, six from Kazakhstan, and three from Kyrgyzstan. Emergency personnel, including 52 members of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations and 11 units of equipment, have arrived at the crash site to assist in the recovery operation.