A passenger plane traveling from Azerbaijan to Russia crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan, as confirmed by the country’s Ministry of Emergency Situations.
Flight J2-8243, an Embraer 190 aircraft, was carrying 62 passengers and five crew members when it was forced to make an emergency landing around 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from Aktau.
The plane, originally flying from Baku to Grozny in Russia’s Chechnya, had been rerouted due to fog in Grozny, according to Russian news agencies.
The aircraft caught fire after the crash, and emergency responders quickly arrived to extinguish the flames.
Kazakh authorities confirmed that 27 people survived the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines flight. Unverified footage from the scene showed the plane bursting into flames upon impact, with thick black smoke rising from the wreckage.
A rescue operation involving 52 personnel and 11 units of equipment from Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations was launched.
Bloodied and bruised passengers were seen emerging from a section of the fuselage that had remained intact.
Kazakhstan’s emergencies ministry later reported that the fire had been successfully extinguished. The survivors, including two children, were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment, while recovery efforts for the deceased were ongoing.
Health officials reported that 27 people, including three children, survived the crash and were hospitalized. Russia’s aviation watchdog suggested that the pilot may have attempted an emergency landing after a bird strike.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev shortened his visit to Russia, where he was scheduled to attend a summit on Wednesday, according to Russia’s RIA news agency. Ramzan Kadyrov, the Kremlin-backed leader of Chechnya, extended his condolences, noting that those receiving medical treatment were in critical condition, and he, along with others, would pray for their swift recovery.
Kazakh authorities have launched an investigation into several potential causes of the crash, including a possible technical failure, according to Russia’s Interfax news agency.
Recovery efforts continue as authorities work to gather details about the victims. The cause of the crash remains unknown.
In another incident, at least nine people were killed last week when a small plane crashed in Gramado, southern Brazil, slamming into a commercial area of the tourist city, authorities said.
