A plane of Azerbaijan Airlines crashed in Kazakhstan, killing 38 people and leaving several others injured.
The flight, carrying 67 passengers, was en route to Grozny, Russia, but changed course due to fog and attempted an emergency landing near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan. The plane crashed about 3 kilometers from Aktau and caught fire. The flight took off from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, and the crash occurred at 06:28 GMT, according to data from the flight tracking website Flightradar24. Some reports suggest the plane may have collided with a flock of birds before crashing. Additionally, experts speculate that the plane could have been downed by Russian air defense systems. The flight data recorder has been recovered, and an investigation is underway.
The passengers on board were mostly Azerbaijani nationals, along with some from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. One woman, who was traveling to spend the holidays with her children in Chechnya, died in the crash.
Another mother, who was carrying medical tests for her sick child, is still missing. Her child survived, but there is no news about their father.