At least 29 passengers survived a fiery plane crash near the Kazakh city of Aktau on Wednesday, as rescue teams continue to search for dozens of others feared dead, according to authorities.
Remarkable video footage captured the aftermath of the crash, showing dazed survivors emerging from the wreckage of the plane, which had been carrying 67 people.
Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 was en route from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Grozny in Russia’s Chechnya region when it was forced to make an emergency landing about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from Aktau, the airline reported.
Among the 29 survivors are two children, authorities said. All survivors have been transported to a nearby hospital for medical care.
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations stated that rescue teams arrived at the scene to find the aircraft engulfed in flames. Firefighters worked swiftly to extinguish the blaze.
Footage of the incident showed the plane circling the airfield erratically before crashing. Upon impact, the aircraft burst into flames, and bloodied passengers were seen emerging from the wreckage shortly afterward.
Preliminary investigations by Russia’s aviation watchdog suggest the crash may have been caused by a bird strike, prompting the pilot to attempt an emergency landing.
According to Kazakhstan’s transport ministry, the flight had 62 passengers and five crew members onboard. Preliminary data indicates the passengers included 37 Azerbaijani citizens, six Kazakh nationals, three Kyrgyz nationals, and 16 Russian citizens.
Azerbaijan Airlines released a statement on its Facebook page, promising to provide additional updates about the incident.
The Kazakh government has established a commission to investigate the crash. “The commission was instructed to immediately travel to the accident site, ensure a thorough investigation of the crash’s causes, and prioritize assistance for the families of the deceased and injured,” read a government statement.
Kazakhstan also confirmed it would collaborate with Azerbaijan in the ongoing investigation. Photo by AnastassiyaL, Wikimedia commons.