An Embraer 190 passenger plane operated by Azerbaijan Airlines, en route from Baku to Grozny, crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday. The flight, carrying 62 passengers and five crew members, ended in tragedy, with 28 survivors, including two children, Kazakh authorities reported.
Unverified video footage revealed the harrowing crash, showing the aircraft bursting into flames upon impact, followed by plumes of thick black smoke. Distressed passengers, bloodied and injured, were seen emerging from a fragment of the fuselage that remained intact.
Kazakhstan’s emergencies ministry confirmed that fire services swiftly extinguished the blaze. Survivors were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment, while recovery operations for the deceased continued. Azerbaijan Airlines disclosed that the flight, identified as J2-8243, was forced to make an emergency landing approximately 3 kilometers from Aktau, citing preliminary indications of a bird strike.
The crash site, located near the Caspian Sea, has prompted an immediate response. Kazakhstan’s government established a commission to investigate the incident and pledged to support the victims’ families. Cooperation with Azerbaijan in the inquiry has been assured.
Russia’s aviation watchdog corroborated the emergency landing decision following the suspected bird strike. Authorities are working to unravel the sequence of events leading to the tragic accident.