A plane carrying 67 people from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny in Russia's Chechen Republic crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on Dec. 25, Tengrinews media outlet reported.
According to Kazakhstan's Transport Ministry, the plane operated by Azerbaijan Airlines had 37 Azerbaijani passengers, 16 Russians, six Kazakhs, and three Kyrgyz, along with five crew members on board.
At least 28 people are believed to have survived, the Kazakh Emergency Situations Ministry said. The number of casualties has not been reported.
Russia's Federal Agency for Air Transport (Rosaviatsiya) reported that, according to preliminary data, the plane collided with a flock of birds and the pilot decided to land at the Aktau airfield, after which the aircraft "hit the ground."
Search and rescue operations at the site are ongoing.
Martin Fornusek
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