Passenger plane crashes in Kazakhstan

An Azerbaijan Airlines flight with 67 people on board, traveling from the Azerbaijani capital Baku to Grozny in Russia’s Chechnya region, crashed near the Kazakh Caspian city of Aktau on Wednesday, the Kazakh Emergency Ministry said, adding that there were 25 survivors.

According to the ministry, 62 passengers and five crew members were on board Flight 8432, which caught fire following the crash, adding that emergency responders are working to extinguish it, Anadolu Ajansı reports.

“A total of 67 people were on board, including five crew members. ... The response involves 150 personnel and 45 emergency medical service units. Passenger lists are currently being verified,” the ministry said.

The ministry initially reported 25 survivors, but later updated the figure, saying 28 people endured the crash, including two children.

In a separate statement, the Kazakh Transport Ministry reported that the aircraft carried citizens of five countries – 37 Azerbaijanis, six Kazakh nationals, three Kyrgyz nationals, and 16 Russians.

According to the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency, preliminary findings said a collision with birds was the cause of the crash.

Russian media claimed that the plane was unable to land in Grozny due to a Ukrainian drone attack. The pilot redirected the flight to the city of Makhachkala, the administrative center of the neighboring Dagestan region, but was deterred by fog, ultimately requesting to land in Aktau, a city on the Caspian Sea.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev ordered an investigation into the crash, led by Deputy Prime Minister Bozumbayev, and dispatched medical teams from Astana to assist survivors.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev cut short his visit to St. Petersburg, Russia to return to Baku following the incident.