Aktau residents responded immediately to an urgent call for blood donations following a plane crash near the city on Dec. 25, demonstrating an outpouring of support for the victims, Tengrinews reported. 

The Blood Centre of the Mangystau Region issued an appeal earlier today, urging healthy individuals to donate blood.

“We ask all caring residents of our region to come to the blood centre now and donate blood. If you are healthy, have not eaten fatty foods today, and, most importantly, want to help people in need, then we are waiting for you today, Dec. 25, until 4 p.m.,” the centre stated.

The plea was met with a swift response as numerous Aktau residents arrived at the centre to donate. Local news outlet Lada praised the community for their solidarity and compassion. “Caring residents of Aktau came to the city blood centre to donate blood for the victims of the plane crash,” the outlet reported.

The accident involved an Embraer 190 aircraft, flight number J2-8243, travelling from Baku to Grozny. The plane made an emergency landing three kilometres from Aktau. Aboard the aircraft were 67 people, including five crew members. Initial reports from the Kazakh Ministry of Transport confirmed the passengers included 37 Azerbaijani citizens, six Kazakh citizens, three Kyrgyz citizens, and 16 Russian citizens. According to preliminary data from the Kazakh Emergency Ministry, 29 people survived, including two children, and were taken to hospitals.

In response, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev established a state commission to address the incident, while the government formed a separate commission to investigate the causes of the crash. The Transport Police Department has also launched a pre-trial investigation. Azerbaijani officials have travelled to Kazakhstan to assist with the situation. 

Photo credits: Kazakh Emergency Ministry and instagram.com/azamat_sarsenbayev