Peskov urged not to hypothesize the causes of the plane crash before the investigation's findings

Until the investigation is over, it is not worth speculating on the causes of the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) plane flying Baku - Grozny in Kazakhstan's Aktau. This was stated by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on December 26.

"Any aviation incident should be investigated by specialized aviation authorities, and it would be wrong to build any hypotheses before the conclusions of the investigation. We, of course, will not do this, and no one should do this," Peskov said.

He pointed out that the investigation is underway and it is necessary to wait for its completion.

The Kremlin spokesman recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin had expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and wished recovery to the victims of the crash on behalf of all participants of the informal summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

Tragedy in Aktau: Baku-Grozny passenger plane crashed

A fire started at the scene and there are survivors

A passenger plane of AZAL Airlines, flying on the Baku-Grozny route, crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on December 25. After the crash the plane caught fire. Preliminary, the cause of the fall of the airplane could be a collision with a flock of birds. After the crash, a criminal case was initiated.

According to the list of AZAL, there were 62 passengers and five crew members on board. There were 16 Russians on the plane, seven of them died. Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Kanat Bozumbayev, in turn, came to the victims of the plane crash. AZAL suspended flights from Baku to Makhachkala and Grozny until the investigation is completed.

The next day, December 26, search and rescue operation was completed at the crash site of AZAL plane. Rescuers found 38 dead, including three crew members and six citizens of Kazakhstan. At the same time, a special airplane of the Russian Emergencies Ministry, which arrived in Aktau on the day of the crash, delivered nine surviving Russians to Moscow for treatment.