Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – An Embraer 190 passenger jet operated by Azerbaijan Airlines crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday during a flight from Baku to Grozny, Russia, carrying 62 passengers and five crew members. Authorities confirmed 28 survivors, including two children, while the remaining passengers are feared dead.
Dramatic, unverified footage shows the plane bursting into flames upon impact, followed by thick black smoke. Survivors, some bloodied and bruised, were seen escaping from parts of the aircraft that remained intact. Emergency crews extinguished the fire, and the injured are being treated at a nearby hospital. Recovery efforts for the deceased are ongoing.
Preliminary investigations suggest a bird strike may have caused the pilot to attempt an emergency landing approximately 3 kilometers from Aktau. Kazakh and Azerbaijani authorities have launched a joint inquiry, and a government commission has been dispatched to the crash site.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev cut short his visit to Russia after the crash, while Ramzan Kadyrov, leader of Chechnya, extended condolences and expressed concern for the critically injured.
