An Embraer passenger jet flying from Azerbaijan to Russia crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan on Wednesday. There were 62 passengers and five crew members on board the plane, of which 32 have been rescued and more than 30 are feared dead. At present, the exact cause of the accident is not known, but prima facie it is believed to be a bird hit.

Drone attacks took place in the area

At the same time, there were drone attacks in that area just before the accident. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev have expressed condolences over this accident. Azerbaijan Airlines said that the Embraer 190 jet was going from Baku to Grozny, the capital of Chechnya province in southern Russia, but it had to make an emergency landing three kilometers away from Aktau.

All flights to Grozny cancelled

All flights to Grozny in Russia have been cancelled until the investigation is completed. Kazakhstan officials said Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8242 flew hundreds of miles off its scheduled route and crashed on the other side of the Caspian Sea. The plane was carrying 42 citizens of Azerbaijan, 16 of Russia, six of Kazakhstan and three of Kyrgyzstan.

Why did the plane cross the Caspian Sea?

The Russian aviation regulator said it may have been an emergency after a bird hit. Officials did not explain why the plane crossed the Caspian Sea, but the accident came shortly after drone attacks in southern Russia. Airports in the region had already been closed due to drone attacks and a nearby Russian airport in the plane's path was closed on Wednesday morning.

The plane became a ball of fire upon collision

The video footage shows the plane descending at a very high speed, bursting into a ball of fire as it hits the seashore, and then a cloud of black smoke appears in the sky. Injured and bloodied passengers can be seen coming out of the tail section of the plane that survived the crash.

Kazakhstan's Emergency Ministry said the fire brigade has extinguished the fire and the survivors, including two children, have been admitted to a nearby hospital. Bodies are also being removed. A government commission has been formed to investigate.