RKI Web desk

An Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 aircraft carrying 62 passengers and five crew members crashed during an emergency landing in Aktau, Kazakhstan, leaving dozens feared dead. The flight, en route from Baku to Grozny in Russia, was diverted due to heavy fog. Initial reports indicate 29 survivors, including two children, have been hospitalized, with nine in serious condition.

Local media footage captured a large explosion as the plane crashed into an empty field. Images showed passengers climbing out of the damaged tail section with assistance from emergency workers. The passengers were reportedly from Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.

Preliminary investigations suggest the crash may have been caused by a collision with birds, which compromised the aircraft’s control. Russia’s aviation agency Rosaviatsia stated that the crew opted for Aktau as an alternate airfield due to the emergency situation. There are also unconfirmed reports of an onboard oxygen canister explosion causing passengers to lose consciousness.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, who left a Commonwealth of Independent States summit in Russia to return to Baku, expressed condolences to the victims’ families. A delegation from Azerbaijan has been dispatched to Kazakhstan to investigate the tragedy. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chechnya’s leader Ramzan Kadyrov also extended their condolences.

In Grozny, anguished relatives awaited updates, with one man sharing his relief after receiving a video confirming his nephew’s survival. Search and rescue operations are ongoing as authorities work to uncover the full details of this devastating incident.