A passenger plane carrying 67 people has crashed in Kazakhstan, local authorities confirmed.
The aircraft, operated by Azerbaijan Airlines, caught fire as it descended near the city of Aktau. Authorities stated that the fire has been successfully extinguished.
Onboard the flight were 62 passengers and five crew members.
Preliminary investigations suggest the crash was caused by a collision with a flock of birds. Due to heavy fog at Grozny Airport, the plane was initially redirected to Makhachkala and later to Aktau. During the emergency landing, clearance to land in Grozny had not been granted.
The passengers included nationals from multiple countries: 37 from Azerbaijan, 16 from Russia, 6 from Kazakhstan, and 3 from Kyrgyzstan.
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Health reported that 25 injured individuals were transported to hospitals. Of these, 12 sustained serious injuries, with six currently in critical condition.
