An Azerbaijan Airlines plane carrying 62 passengers crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday, according to a report by Reuters.
The Embraer 190 aircraft, operating as flight J2-8243, was traveling from Baku to Grozny, the capital of Russia’s Chechnya, when it made an emergency landing approximately 3 km (1.8 miles) from Aktau.
Azerbaijan Airlines stated the plane had been rerouted due to heavy fog in Grozny.
So far, 27 survivors have been confirmed, with Kazakhstan’s authorities investigating potential causes, including a technical malfunction, as reported by Russia’s Interfax news agency.
A separate statement from Russia’s aviation watchdog suggested the emergency landing may have been prompted by a bird strike.
Dramatic videos circulating on social media depict the aircraft plunging to the ground and erupting into flames upon impact.
Passengers, visibly injured and bloodied, were seen emerging from a surviving section of the fuselage.
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations dispatched 52 firefighters and 11 firefighting appliances to the crash site.
“Upon arrival, the aircraft was found burning,” the ministry confirmed. Emergency services worked tirelessly to extinguish the flames.
Authorities in Kazakhstan have launched a formal investigation into the crash. “The circumstances of the incident are being confirmed. A special investigation will be conducted,” stated the Ministry of Transport.
Preliminary reports indicated survivors among the dozens onboard, although the exact number of fatalities remains unclear.
The tragedy has left many awaiting further details as the investigation unfolds.
