Azerbaijan Mourns 38 Killed in Plane Crash in Kazakhstan

Some aviation and military experts said the plane may have been accidentally shot by Russian air defense systems

- Agence France-Presse

ASTANA: Azerbaijan held a national day of mourning on Thursday after a passenger jet from the flag carrier crashed in Kazakhstan, killing 38 people, as experts pointed to apparent shrapnel damage on the wreckage as evidence of a possible missile explosion.

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 on Wednesday near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan.

An investigation is underway, but some aviation and military experts said the plane may have been accidentally shot by Russian air defense systems as it was flying in an area where Ukrainian drone activity had been reported.