Dozens feared dead in Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash
· DWA passenger plane carrying 67 people including five crew members has crashed in Kazakhstan. Kazakh authorities say at least 32 people survived the crash but the figure could change.
An Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane carrying 67 people has crashed near the Kazakhstani city of Aktau on Wednesday, authorities said.
The office of Azerbaijan's prosecutor general said at least 32 people survived the crash according to preliminary information, although the figure could change.
Kazankstan's Emergencies Ministry said survivors had been taken to hospitals and Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that some of them were in critical condition.
Plane traveling from Azerbaijan to Russia
The Embraer passenger plane was operated by Azerbaijan's Airlines and was en route from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Grozny, in Russia's Chechnya region.
But the plane was re-routed due to fog in Grozny, Russian state news agency TASS reported.
A spokesperson for Russia’s civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, said that preliminary information showed that the pilot had chosen to divert to Aktau after the plane collided with birds.
Azerbaijani Airlines (AZAL) said the plane made an "emergency landing" near the city of Aktau.
Putin speaks with Azerbaijani president
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev to express his condolences, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
"Unfortunately, Azerbaijan's President Aliyev was forced to leave St. Petersburg [where he had a summit]" Peskov said.
What do we know about the crash?
The Kazakh Transport Ministry said some 62 passengers and five crew members were on board the plane, citing Azerbaijani sources.
The transport ministry said the passengers included 37 Azerbaijanis, 16 Russians, six Kazakhstanis and three people from Kyrgyzstan.
The Kazakh Emergencies Ministry said in a statement on Telegram that its teams found the aircraft on fire upon arrival at the scene.
Mobile footage circulating online appeared to show the aircraft making a steep descent before smashing into the ground in a fireball.
Rescue units have extinguished the fire, the ministry later said. Doctors and psychologists were also at the site.
Kazakhstan launches committee to investigate crash
Kazakhstan's Transport Ministry said it was launching a government commission to investigate the incident.
In a statement, Azerbaijan Airlines said it would keep members of the public updated and changed its social media banners to solid black.
rmt/rm (Reuters, AFP, AP)