-AKTAU, KAZAKHSTAN — DEC. 25-27, 2024 — FILE FOOOTAGE — Evidence collection efforts are ongoing at the site of a crash involving an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) passenger plane near the city of Aktau in western Kazakhstan on Friday, Dec. 27. Footage captured by Anadolu shows recovery operations at the crash site, where the wreckage of the plane remains split in two. Security forces have cordoned off the area, ensuring strict access control. The fuselage, located 250 meters from the tail section, has been destroyed by fire. Local sources indicate that investigations are still underway, with experts from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and other nations present at the scene. The second black box of the aircraft was recovered the previous day, and both black boxes have been secured as part of the evidence collection process. Authorities have confirmed that representatives from Brazil, where the plane was manufactured, as well as from the aircraft manufacturer Embraer, are expected to join the investigation team. Additionally, experts from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) are also scheduled to visit the site in the coming days to assist with the investigation. On Wednesday, an AZAL flight with 67 people on board traveling from the Azerbaijani capital Baku to the city of Grozny in the Russian Republic of Chechnya crashed about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from Aktau, located on the Caspian Sea coast. According to Kazakh officials, 38 people were killed in the crash of the Embraer 190 aircraft, while 29 others survived. Both Azerbaijan Airlines and Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency said preliminary findings pointed to a collision with birds as the cause of the crash. However, footage from the crash site shows large holes in the tail of the plane, sparking speculation that it may have been brought down by an attack.