A national day of mourning was declared in Azerbaijan after the flight heading for Grozny, Russia, crash landed in Kazakhstan with 67 passengers and five crew members on board
Kazakhstan: Passenger plane crashes close to Aktau Airport
Early on Christmas morning, the Daily Star reported how an Azerbaijan Airlines flight forced to circle Aktau Airport in Kazakhstan several times crashed landed after allegedly hitting a flock of birds.
Filmed by several horrified onlookers, the plane operating flight number J2-8243 on the Baku-Grozny route was seen flying at speed with its nose angled towards the ground as it hurtled towards the runway. A huge fireball was seen seconds later, with the plane later seen split into several pieces.
Rumours quickly swirled about what had happened, with officials unwilling to offer much by way of confirmation. But with conspiracy theories mounting, the Daily Star has put together exactly what has been confirmed – and what hasn’t
What happened on Christmas
The flight left Baku airport at 7.55am on Christmas Day and was scheduled for Grozny in Russia, with local reports claiming that it had 67 passengers on board as well as five crew members. It circled the airport in Kazakhstan several times, before suddenly hurting towards the ground.
The plane was seen landing upside down before rolling over and exploding into a fiery blaze. In the hours after the crash, footage also emerged of what appears to be the inside of the plane, showing scared passengers with oxygen masks hanging down from the ceiling, but no indication of what happened to cause the crash was given.
Survivors and death toll
Despite the horrific scenes, 32 survivors have so far been confirmed while the death toll has risen to 38. It has not been confirmed what happened to the flight crew.
According to local news in Kazakhstan and Russia, the flight manifest consisted of 37 nationals of Azerbaijan, six nationals of Kazakhstan, three nationals of Kyrgyzstan and 16 nationals of Russia.
Evidence
The black box recorder was found around eight hours after the investigation began, with local media confirming that it had been secured as evidence for any future criminal investigation.
What caused the crash?
So far, there are three potential theories – either the plane flew into a flock of birds, as was reported early on, or it was something more sinister. The former claim was shared widely on social media and in local news within one hour of the crash occurring, but quickly disappeared as the day grew.
Around midday UK time, video emerged from the scene showing what was described as “mystery holes” in the back half of the plane.
Baza News in Russia claimed: “A video of strange marks on the tail of a plane that crashed in Kazakhstan is circulating in public groups. The holes look like those left after a shelling or an explosion with striking elements.”
A third theory was then sparked by the holes, with many claiming that the entry point was from the inside out, showing some kind of pressure damage from an internal explosion.
Again, none of these have been confirmed and are merely speculation.
What next?
The official investigation is ongoing, with the black box potentially being the only way of confirming exactly what happened.
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