Dec. 25 (UPI) — An Azerbaijan Airlines passenger flight from Azerbaijan to Russia crashed in Kazakhstan while attempting to make an emergency landing, with dozens feared dead.
The plane had been carrying 67 people, 62 of them passengers, from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Chechnya, when it crashed Wednesday morning near Aktau, Kazakhstan.
The Kazakh Health Ministry released a list of 29 survivors, including two children, but the number of dead was not yet confirmed. The survivors were hospitalized with various injuries.
Russia’s state aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, said in a statement that the plane had been attempting to make an emergency landing in Aktau after colliding with a flock of birds in the air. Azerbaijan Airlines confirmed the plane had crashed 1.8 miles outside of Aktau.
The Kazakh Emergency Situations Ministry said flames had erupted at the crash site, but were quickly extinguished.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev declared Thursday a day of mourning for the victims of the crash.
Investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing.
