The Embraer 190 aircraft was supposed to fly northwest from the Azerbaijani capital Baku to the city of Grozny in Chechnya in southern Russia, but instead diverted far off course across the Caspian Sea. It crashed Wednesday near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan.
Officials condemned “speculation” about what happened.
Kazakh Senate speaker Maulen Ashimbayev was quoted by Russia’s TASS news agency as saying it was “not possible” to say what may have damaged the plane.
But Russian military expert Yury Podolyaka said holes seen in the wreckage of the plane were similar to the damage caused by “anti-aircraft missile system”.
Azerbaijan Airlines initially said the plane flew through a flock of birds before withdrawing the statement.
Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev said that 38 people had been killed, while the Kazakh emergency situations ministry reported “29 survivors, including three children, have been hospitalised”.
Azerbaijan state news agency Azertac reported that 12 of the survivors were being flown to Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev declared Thursday a day of mourning and cancelled a planned visit to Russia for an informal summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a grouping of former Soviet nations.
“I extend my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the crash... and wish a speedy recovery to the injured,“ Aliyev said in a social media post.
Azerbaijan Airlines, the country’s flag carrier, said the plane “made an emergency landing” around three kilometres (1.9 miles) from Aktau.
It said 150 emergency workers attended the scene.
Bloodied survivors
“They were covered in blood. They were crying. They were calling for help,“ said the woman, who gave her name as Elmira.
“I’ll never forget their look, full of pain and despair,“ said Elmira. “A girl pleaded: ‘Save my mother, my mother is back there’.”
A Russian emergency situations ministry had been sent to Aktau with medical personnel and other equipment, Putin said later as he opened the CIS leaders’ meeting in Saint Petersburg.
“I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims. Wishing them strength and patience! I also wish a speedy recovery to the injured,“ she said on Instagram.
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