SEAToday.com, Aktau - An Azerbaijani airliner carrying 67 passengers crashed on Wednesday (12/25) near Aktau, Kazakhstan, resulting in 38 fatalities and 29 survivors, according to a Kazakh official. Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbaev provided these figures during discussions with Azerbaijani officials, as reported by the Russian news agency Interfax.

The Embraer 190 aircraft, en route from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, diverted from its planned route and attempted an emergency landing 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from Aktau, according to Azerbaijan Airlines. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated at a news conference that the crash's cause remained unclear but noted that adverse weather conditions had forced the plane to alter its route.

"The information I received indicates the plane changed course between Baku and Grozny due to worsening weather and headed to Aktau airport, where it crashed during landing," he said.

Russia's civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, suggested a bird strike caused the emergency and subsequent diversion to Aktau. Kazakh officials reported the passengers included 42 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russians, six Kazakhs, and three Kyrgyz nationals. Azerbaijan’s prosecutor general's office initially stated that 32 passengers had survived but noted the figures were not yet final.

Mobile phone footage circulating online showed the plane in a steep descent before crashing in a fireball, with other videos capturing the aircraft's fuselage torn apart and lying upside down in a field. The footage matched the aircraft's colors and registration number.