Plane crashed due to 'external interference'

The Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan this week suffered physical "external interference", the airline and Azerbaijan's transport minister said, on Friday, citing preliminary results of an investigation, adding to speculation it was hit by a Russian air defence system.

- Agencies

BAKU:

The jet crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on Wednesday, killing 38 of the 67 people on board, after attempting to land at its destination in the Russian city of Grozny and then diverting far off course across the Caspian Sea.

Russia's aviation chief said on Friday that Grozny was being attacked by Ukrainian drones at the time the plane had tried to land, but the Kremlin has declined to comment on reports the plane was accidentally shot down by Russian air defence missiles.

Statements from Azerbaijan citing the investigation into the incident suggest Baku believes the plane was hit mid-air.