Update on plane crash near Aktau, Kazakhstan: An Embraer passenger plane en route from Azerbaijan to Russia crashed Wednesday near the Kazakh city of Aktau with 67 passengers and five crew members on board, Kazakh officials announced, adding that 12 survived.
Unverified video of the crash showed the plane, operated by Azerbaijan Airlines, bursting into flames and billowing thick black smoke as it hit the ground.
The Central Asian country’s Emergencies Ministry said in a statement that fire services had put out the fire and survivors were being treated at a nearby hospital.
BREAKING: A plane carrying passengers has crashed near Aktau Airport in Kazakhstan pic.twitter.com/M2DtYe6nZU
– BNO News (@BNONEnews) December 25, 2024
An Embraer 190 aircraft with Azerbaijan Airlines flight number J2-8243 was flying from Baku to the Russian capital of Chechnya, Grozny, but was forced to make an emergency landing about 3 kilometers (1.8 mi) from the Kazakh city. octave
Russian news agencies said the plane was rerouted due to fog in Grozny.
Authorities in Kazakhstan are looking into various possible versions of what happened, including a technical glitch, Russia’s Interfax news agency reported.
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