After tragic crash in Kazakhstan: holes in the plane raise new questions
Aktau (Kazakhstan) - Following the tragic crash of a passenger plane over Kazakhstan , the search for the cause of the accident is intensifying . Initial suspicions are being raised that the plane was shot down. Meanwhile, people in Azerbaijan, where the plane had taken off, are mourning.
Flags are flying at half-mast and events have been postponed. Azerbaijan wants to express its sympathy and commemorate the victims of the tragic crash with a day of mourning.
According to the German Press Agency, the victims include Russian, Azerbaijani and Kyrgyz nationals.
Initial speculations about the cause of the crash included a flock of birds or fog.
However, these scenarios are rather unlikely, as aviation expert Heinrich Großbongardt explained to Tagesschau.
"The realistic scenario is an external impact. The plane was extremely badly damaged and uncontrollable. This is not something that is caused by a flock of birds, for example, where the engines fail but the plane remains controllable," he asserted.
Images of holes in the aircraft are circulating on the internet
The images show holes in the fuselage and tailplane of the crashed plane.
According to the portal"aeroTELEGRAPH", there are several theories as to how these holes were created: Shrapnel, gunfire, an explosion in the cabin or flying debris on impact have already been suspected as the cause.
Accusations of a connection between the crash and Russian air defense came from Ukraine, but also from the Russian opposition camp abroad.
The plane may have entered a dangerous zone over the North Caucasus. Authorities reported Ukrainian drone attacks there on Wednesday morning.
Nothing has been confirmed so far. "It would be wrong to make a hypothesis before the conclusions of the investigation are available," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Russian state news agency Tass.