A commercial plane carrying almost 70 people has crashed in a tragic Christmas Day accident, reports claim. The vessel, operated by Azerbaijan Airlines, smashed into the ground before erupting in flames in Aktau, Kazakhstan, earlier this morning.
The aircraft, which had departed from Baku, Azerbaijan en route to Grozny, Russia, was redirected due to foggy weather, according to Sky News. While the fires have now been extinguished, it is not clear what caused the incident.
However, the Mirror has reported that the the Embraer E190AR aircraft, with registration number 4K-AZ65, had sent a distress signal after hitting a bird. Initial reports suggest that approximately 25 people have survived the crash, with over 50 emergency responders present at the scene.
Reach has approached Azerbaijan Airlines and Kazakhstan’s Ministry for Emergency Situations for further information.