Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashes near Kazakhstan's Aktau airport
Among the 32 survivors pulled from the debris of a passenger jet that went down in Kazakhstan on Christmas Day were children; however, many others are believed to have perished in the tragic incident.
The Azerbaijan Airlines plane, which had 67 passengers onboard, crashed to the ground close to the city of Aktau, causing a fire to erupt into the air.
The aircraft was originally traveling from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, but was redirected because of foggy weather conditions.
The cause of the fatal accident remains unclear, and it could have taken the lives of many people, pending the official confirmation of the death toll.
Azerbaijan Airlines is halting all flights to Grozny during the ongoing investigation, according to reports.
A video thought to depict the moment of collision shows the plane rapidly descending towards the ground, followed by a huge fireball.
Images from the accident scene reveal the damaged rear part of the Embraer 190 aircraft, as emergency responders are seen tending to the situation.
Over 50 emergency responders are present at the location, where a fire has been put out, according to officials in Kazakhstan.
The exact circumstances that led to the crash of the aircraft, which was carrying 62 passengers and five crew members, remain unknown.
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Survivors are receiving care at a local hospital, while four bodies have been found.
Azerbaijan Airlines reported that the plane had to make an urgent landing at Aktau airport.
The airline reported that among the passengers, 37 were citizens of Azerbaijan. Additionally, there were 16 from Russia, six from Kazakhstan, and three from Kyrgyzstan.
Russia's aviation authority stated that initial reports indicated the pilot opted for an emergency landing due to a bird collision.
The Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin offered his sympathies to his Azerbaijani counterpart.
Ramzan Kadyrov, a close associate of Putin and the head of Chechnya, also offered his sympathies. He mentioned that patients in the hospital were in very critical condition and that he, along with others, would be praying for their swift healing.
