News EditorAt least 30 people have survived a tragic plane crash in Kazakhstan, which claimed the lives of dozens of others, according to local authorities. The crash occurred early Wednesday morning when Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243, an Embraer 190 aircraft, crashed while attempting an emergency landing near Aktau, a city in southwestern Kazakhstan.
The flight, which originated in Baku, Azerbaijan, was en route to Grozny, Russia, but was diverted due to thick fog. Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 revealed the plane took off at 03:55 GMT and crashed at approximately 06:28 GMT, roughly 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) from the airport.
Witnesses and verified video footage show the aircraft descending rapidly with its landing gear deployed, followed by a massive fireball as the plane crashed. Emergency services were quickly on the scene, with footage showing survivors being pulled from the wreckage and crawling out of the debris.
The plane was carrying 67 people, including 62 passengers and 5 crew members. While most passengers were Azerbaijani nationals, there were also people from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan on board. The Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that 22 of the 25 known survivors were hospitalized.
Azerbaijan Airlines confirmed that the plane caught fire as it made its emergency landing. Both Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have launched investigations to determine the cause of the crash. Embraer, the Brazilian manufacturer of the aircraft, expressed readiness to assist with the ongoing investigations.
Azerbaijan Airlines has not yet commented on the incident. The Embraer 190 aircraft involved in the crash has a generally strong safety record.
