KUALA LUMPUR – Wisma Putra has confirmed that no Malaysians were involved in the tragic crash of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight J2-8243, an Embraer 190 aircraft, near Aktau International Airport, Kazakhstan, yesterday.
The crash has claimed 38 lives, with 29 survivors, including two children who were hospitalised, according to Kazakhstan’s Transport Minister Marat Karabayev.
“There were 67 people on board – 62 passengers and five crew members. Unfortunately, 38 people died, and 29 survived,” Karabayev stated during a briefing in Aktau, as reported by Azerbaijan State News Agency.
The Kazakh Transport Ministry said the plane was carrying 37 nationals from Azerbaijan, six from Kazakhstan, three from Kyrgyzstan and 16 from Russia.
Among the deceased were 23 Azerbaijani citizens, while 14 survived. All three Kyrgyzstan passengers survived. Of the 16 Russian citizens, seven died and nine survived.
Tragically, all six Kazakh citizens on the plane lost their lives. The crew consisted of five members, two of whom died, while three survived.
In its statement, the Malaysian Foreign Ministry extended its deepest condolences to the victims’ families and wished a swift recovery to those injured.
“We will continue to monitor the situation closely,” the ministry said.
Malaysians in need of assistance or information may contact the Embassy of Malaysia in Astana at 26 Sarayshyk Street, Diplomatic District, 010000 Astana, Kazakhstan. The embassy can be reached via telephone at +7 (7172) 79 06 90, +7 (7172) 79 06 95, or +7 777 079 0014, or by email at mwastana@kln.gov.my.
According to international reports, the flight was en route from Baku to Grozny when it caught fire during an emergency landing near Aktau yesterday. – December 26, 2024
