Dozens of individuals have died after a passenger aircraft crashed with 69 folks on board in Kazakhstan, native officers say.
Kazakh authorities mentioned 38 folks have been killed within the crash, whereas the rest survived.
Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 caught hearth because it tried to make an emergency touchdown close to the Kazakh metropolis of Aktau.
The aircraft was en path to Grozny in Russia nevertheless it was diverted resulting from fog, the airline informed the BBC.
Footage reveals the plane heading in direction of the bottom at excessive pace with its touchdown gear down, earlier than bursting into flames because it lands.
The airline mentioned the aircraft “made an emergency touchdown” about 3km (1.9 miles) from Aktau.
It took off from the Azerbaijani capital Baku at 03:55 GMT on Wednesday, and crashed round 06:28, information from flight-tracking web site Flightradar24 confirmed.
Unconfirmed experiences from Russian media mentioned the plane may need collided with a flock of birds earlier than crashing.
Officials from the international locations concerned have acknowledged completely different numbers for many who have been on board and for many who survived.
The airline mentioned 62 passengers and 5 crew members have been on board the Embraer 190 however different experiences put the whole at 72.
Those on board have been largely Azerbaijani nationals, however there have been additionally some passengers from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
Azerbaijan Airlines mentioned flights between Baku and the Russian cities of Grozny and Makhachkala can be cancelled whereas an investigation into the incident was accomplished.
Unverified video footage confirmed survivors crawling out of the wreckage, some with seen accidents.
Both Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have launched investigations into the incident. Embraer informed the BBC it was “prepared to help all related authorities”.
The BBC has contacted Azerbaijan Airlines for remark.
Embraer, a Brazilian producer, is a smaller rival to Boeing and Airbus, and has a robust security file.
