An Azerbaijani airliner carrying 67 people crashed near the Kazakhstani city of Aktau on Wednesday, leaving at least 32 survivors, according to officials.
More than 30 people are feared dead.
The flight, which departed from Baku, Azerbaijan, was en route to Grozny, Russia, and carried passengers from Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
Kazakhstan’s Emergency Ministry reported that 29 passengers have been hospitalized, and four bodies have been recovered. Both pilots are believed to have perished in the crash.
The Embraer 190 aircraft made an emergency landing 3 km from Aktau following a reported bird strike that caused an onboard emergency. Footage from the scene showed the wreckage engulfed in flames, with survivors rescuing others from the debris.
Kazakhstani and Azerbaijani authorities have launched a joint investigation to determine the cause of the crash.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev expressed his condolences to the victims’ families and pledged to provide updates as the investigation progresses.
