A passenger plane carrying 67 people from Azerbaijan to Russia crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on Wednesday morning.
The incident involved an Embraer 190 aircraft operated by Azerbaijan Airlines, travelling from Baku to Grozny in Russia’s Chechen region.
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that rescue teams found the aircraft engulfed in flames upon arrival at the crash site, located approximately three kilometers (1.8 miles) from Aktau.
“Rescue units began extinguishing the fire. Currently, information about the victims is being clarified, and according to preliminary information, there are survivors,” the ministry said in a statement.
The aircraft had 62 passengers and five crew members on board, as detailed in a preliminary report by Kazakhstan’s transport ministry.
Azerbaijan Airlines, in a statement released on its Facebook page, confirmed the flight, designated J2-8243, had made an emergency landing near Aktau. “Additional information regarding the incident will be provided to the public,” the airline added.
