The wreckage of Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 lays on the ground near the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024. Photo: VCG

A passenger plane operated by Azerbaijan Airlines from Baku to Grozny crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on Wednesday, Kazakhstan's Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) said, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The Embraer 190 aircraft operated by Azerbaijan Airlines was en route from Baku, Azerbaijan to Grozny in Russia's Chechnya when it crashed. According to the MES, on board were 69 people, including five crew. Survivors, including two children, were taken to hospital. 

The office of Azerbaijan's prosecutor general said: "According to available data, 32 people survived the crash," AFP reported.

The Chinese Consulate General in Aktobe confirmed on Wednesday that no Chinese nationals were on board, the Xinhua News Agency. 

The Chinese Embassy in Kazakhstan also confirmed with the Global Times that there's no Chinese nationals on board. The Chinese Embassy in Kazakhstan and the embassy and consulates in Azerbaijan have activated their response mechanisms, Chinese Embassy in Kazakhstan said. 

According to preliminary data from the Kazakh Ministry of Transport, those onboard include nationals from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia. 

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has tasked a state commission in connection with the plane crash. The commission led by Vice Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev has left for the accident site. The Government of Kazakhstan is cooperating with the governments of Azerbaijan, Russia and Kyrgyzstan to ensure there is a comprehensive investigation into the cause and to provide urgent care, local media Kazinform reported.

The Federal Agency for Air Transport of the Russian Federation, Rosaviatsiya, has released an official statement regarding the crash. According to preliminary findings, after a collision with a flock of birds, due to an emergency situation on board, the captain of the aircraft decided to divert to an alternative airfield, selecting Aktau as the destination, Azerbaijani Press Agency's Russian bureau reported.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev decided to return to Baku from a Russia-hosted informal CIS summit after the incident, his press service said in a statement, according to Russian news agency Tass.

Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone conversation expressed condolences to his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev over the crash, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists, Tass reported. 

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed his condolences in a post on X on Wednesday, saying that "Our thoughts are with the families of the deceased and we wish a swift recovery to the injured. Pakistan stands with Azerbaijan in this hour of grief."

Turkey on Wednesday offered condolences for the victims of the plane crash. Expressing sorrow over the incident, a Foreign Ministry statement said that Turkey is ready to provide all support to its "Azerbaijani and Kazakh brothers," according to the Anadolu Agency of Turkey. 

The UN in Kazakhstan also expressed deepest condolences in a post on X to the families of those who tragically lost their lives in the plane crash.  

Azerbaijani media reported that the aircraft was unable to obtain permission to land in Grozny due to fog, leading it to be redirected to Makhachkala and later to Aktau. Azerbaijan Airlines has assured that more information will be provided, while local authorities and emergency services are investigating the crash, Xinhua updated.