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Azerbaijan Airlines plane made 2 circles near Kazakh airport before crashing — official

According to Kazakh Deputy Transport Minister Talgat Lastayev, data will be retrieved from flight recorders during the investigation, and interviews will be conducted with eyewitnesses and air controllers

ASTANA, December 25. /TASS/. An Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane circled the Aktau airport in Kazakhstan twice before crashing, Kazakh Deputy Transport Minister Talgat Lastayev said.

"After entering the airspace of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the aircraft made two circles near the Aktau airfield and, when making a third circle, it collided with the ground. Consequently, there were no residential buildings in the immediate vicinity and there was no threat to residential buildings," he said when asked whether there was any threat to residential buildings.

According to the official, data will be retrieved from flight recorders during the investigation, and interviews will be conducted with eyewitnesses and air controllers.

"Based on all the findings, the commission for the investigation of the plane accident, which was established today by order of the Transportation Minister <...> will make appropriate conclusions in a timely manner," he said. "It is now absolutely premature to blame anyone."

An Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 passenger plane headed from Baku, Azerbaijan to Grozny, Russia crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau earlier on Wednesday. According to the latest reports, there were 67 people on board, including 5 crew, nationals of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia. The Kazakh Health Ministry put the number of survivors at 29.

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