An Azerbaijani airliner carrying 67 individuals crashed on Wednesday near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan, resulting in 38 fatalities and leaving 29 survivors, according to a Kazakh official.

During a meeting with Azerbaijani representatives, Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbaev shared these statistics, as reported by the Russian news agency Interfax.

The Embraer 190 was traveling from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Grozny, a city in Russia’s North Caucasus region, when it was compelled to divert and execute an emergency landing approximately 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) away from Aktau airport, as stated by Azerbaijan Airlines.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev commented during a news conference that it was premature to make guesses regarding the cause of the accident, but noted that adverse weather conditions led the flight to alter its intended route.

“The information I have indicates that the airplane changed its route between Baku and Grozny because of deteriorating weather and attempted to land in Aktau, where it tragically crashed,” he explained.

Russia’s aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, indicated that initial reports suggested pilots redirected to Aktau following a bird strike that resulted in an onboard emergency.

Kazakh officials noted that among the passengers were 42 citizens from Azerbaijan, 16 from Russia, six from Kazakhstan, and three from Kyrgyzstan. Azerbaijan’s prosecutor general’s office initially reported that 32 of the 67 passengers survived the incident, but later clarified that this number was not conclusive.

There appeared to be discrepancies between survivor counts provided by Kazakh and Azerbaijani authorities, which could not be resolved immediately.

Mobile phone videos circulating on social media seemed to capture the aircraft making a rapid descent before crashing in a fiery explosion. Additional footage displayed a section of the fuselage detached from the wings and the rest of the plane lying upside down in a grassy area, which matched the aircraft’s colors and registration details.

Some videos featured survivors pulling fellow passengers away from the wreckage.

Data from FlightRadar24.com illustrated the aircraft supposedly flying in a figure-eight pattern as it approached Aktau airport, with significant altitude fluctuations observed just minutes before the crash.

FlightRadar24 noted that the plane experienced “strong GPS jamming,” which caused it to transmit inaccurate ADS-B data, essential for tracking flights. Past incidents have attributed similar GPS jamming to Russia in this broader area.

In the wake of the tragedy, Azerbaijan Airlines announced it would keep the public informed about developments, modifying its social media profiles to black banners as a sign of mourning. Additionally, the airline suspended flights between Baku and Grozny, as well as flights to Makhachkala, in Russia’s North Caucasus region, pending the completion of an investigation.

Azerbaijan’s state news agency, Azertac, reported that an official delegation, including the emergency situations minister, deputy prosecutor general, and vice president of Azerbaijan Airlines, was dispatched to Aktau to conduct an “on-site investigation.”

Upon hearing about the crash while on a trip to Russia, Aliyev promptly returned to Azerbaijan. He was scheduled to participate in an informal meeting of the leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States in St. Petersburg, a union of ex-Soviet nations established after the fall of the Soviet Union.

In a statement on social media, Aliyev expressed his sympathy for the families impacted by the tragedy, stating, “It is with profound sorrow that I extend my condolences to the victims’ families and wish a swift recovery to those hurt.”

He also issued a decree designating December 26 as a day of mourning in Azerbaijan.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also reached out to Aliyev via phone to offer his condolences, as reported by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

During the CIS summit in St. Petersburg, Putin shared that Russia’s Emergency Ministry had dispatched a plane equipped with medical personnel and equipment to assist in the aftermath of the incident.

Investigations into the crash are ongoing and being carried out by authorities from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Russia. Embraer, the manufacturer of the aircraft, has stated its willingness to support relevant authorities in their inquiries.