Residents Install Memorial at Site of AZAL Plane Crash

A memorial has appeared at the site of the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) plane crash near Aqtau, according to a video circulating on social media, Orda.kz reports.

The site now features a metal fence marking where the wreckage once lay. Benches have been added, and flowers planted nearby.

The Tupkaragan District Akimat clarified that local authorities did not commission the memorial.

This is an initiative of concerned residents of the Mangystau region. They decided to pay tribute to the memory of those who passed away on their own. No money was allocated from the budget for the memorial,  the district press service stated.

The Embraer-190 aircraft operated by Azerbaijan Airlines crashed on December 25, 2024, during an attempted emergency landing in Aqtau. Of the 69 people on board, 29 survived.

Investigators later found multiple punctures in the plane’s fuselage caused by foreign objects. Azerbaijan believes fragments of Russian Pantsir-C anti-aircraft missiles struck the aircraft.

Russia is conducting a parallel investigation.

Kazakhstan’s Minister of Transport, Marat Karabayev,  told reporters that experts are continuing to analyze materials related to the crash. He added that Kazakh specialists, together with international experts, including ICAO representatives, have already visited Baku, Grozny, and Rostov-on-Don.

Original Author: Dinara Bekbolayeva