Azerbaijan Airlines Flight Carrying 70 People Crashes in Kazakhstan

Tragedy struck early Wednesday as a passenger plane carrying around 70 people crashed in Kazakhstan, killing dozens.

Local officials report at least 30 survivors from the Azerbaijan Airlines flight, which had been diverted due to fog while en route from Baku to Grozny, Russia.

What Happened?

The Embraer 190 jet caught fire after attempting an emergency landing roughly 3km (1.9 miles) from Aktau.

Flight data indicates it took off at 03:55 GMT and crashed around 06:28.

Dramatic footage shows the plane hurtling toward the ground with its landing gear deployed before erupting into flames on impact.

Russian Reports Suggest Bird Hit The Plane

While reports from Russian media suggest a bird strike might have caused the crash, this remains unconfirmed.

Conflicting accounts have emerged about the number of passengers and survivors.

The figure for passengers ranges between 62 and 72, and survivors are between 28 and 32.

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