As investigations into the fatal crash of a Russia-bound Azerbaijan Airlines flight continue, Azerbaijani and U.S. officials suspect a Russian missile hit the passenger plane. Moscow has warned against jumping to unfounded conclusions. Of the 67 people on board the flight on Christmas day, 38 were killed.
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00:00Returning home after a nightmare flight on Christmas Day, Azerbaijani survivors of the
00:08deadly plane crash near Aktau city in Kazakhstan arrived back in Azerbaijan's capital, Baku,
00:15and were met with emergency responders and medics.
00:20The Embraer 190 passenger plane was supposed to fly from Baku to Grozny in southern Russia,
00:27an area where Moscow and Kyiv are engaged in active combat.
00:32The plane was instead diverted hundreds of miles off course for an emergency landing,
00:38crashing in a ball of fire in Kazakhstan, killing 38 of the 67 people on board.
00:45There are mixed reports over what caused the crash, with Azerbaijani and U.S. officials
00:51suspecting a Russian missile hit the passenger plane, an explanation backed by some aviation
00:58experts.
00:59The analysis of the plane debris allows us to know a little more about the cause, especially
01:04the marks on the tail of the plane.
01:06We have evidence from the outside and inside that there were shrapnel that hit the plane.
01:11It's obviously an air defense missile.
01:14Sixteen of the plane's passengers were Russians, and as those who survived arrived near Moscow,
01:20the Kremlin reiterated its warning against jumping to unfounded conclusions, with investigators
01:27in Kazakhstan yet to release any results.
01:30Meanwhile, foreign governments like Brazil and Canada have sent their own officials to
01:35aid investigations, and called on Russia for an open and transparent probe.
01:41Speaking to Reuters, sources with knowledge of the case so far say Baku expects Moscow
01:47to confess to shooting down the plane, a situation that would make more countries wary
01:52of the Kremlin.
01:54And so if they aren't given some sort of assurance that these flights won't be shot down by Russian
01:59air defense systems, this could lead to disagreements between Russia and the states that not only
02:05border Russia, but have been critical in ensuring that Russia has been able to evade Western-led
02:12sanctions from its invasion of Ukraine.
02:18Celebrations here this holiday season have now been muted, as people mourn those lost
02:23on that Christmas flight.
02:25And with answers still elusive and unclear, uncertainty pervades along with grief.
02:32Hank Xu and Joyce Sun for Taiwan Plus.