At least 42 people were killed Wednesday when an Azerbaijani airliner crashed in the western Kazakhstani city of Aktau, Kazakh Emergency Ministry said.
The ministry confirmed in a Telegram statement Wednesday that 67 people, including five crew, were on board the plane.
It added that 25 of them have survived the crash, according to preliminary assessment and 22 survivors have been hospitalized.
Unverified video of the crash showed the plane, which was operated by Azerbaijan Airlines, bursting into flames as it hit the ground and thick black smoke then rising.
VIDEO — Witness footage shows moments Azerbaijan Airlines plane, with at least 62 passengers, 5 crews on board, crashed in city of Aktau, western Kazakhstan pic.twitter.com/BVfnjmm955
— Daily Sabah (@DailySabah) December 25, 2024
The Embraer 190 aircraft, with flight number J2-8243, was en route from Baku to Grozny in Russia’s Chechnya but was rerouted due to fog in Grozny, according to news agencies. It then attempted an emergency landing at Aktau airport.
Authorities in Kazakhstan said they had begun looking into different possible versions of what had happened, including a technical problem, Russia’s Interfax news agency reported.
