ASTANA: A passenger plane operated by Azerbaijan Airlines caught fire after crashing near Aktau city in Kazakhstan, according to the country's Emergencies Ministry.
The Embraer 190, originally flying from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny in Russia's Chechnya, was diverted due to fog in Grozny. The plane was carrying 62 passengers and five crew members. Twenty-five people survived the crash and were taken to the hospital, including five in intensive care.
A video captured the aircraft rapidly descending and tilting to the right before it crashed into an open field and erupted in flames. The crash occurred near the airport, where the plane reportedly made several circles while requesting an emergency landing before stalling and crashing.
Azerbaijan Airlines stated, "The Embraer 190 aircraft, operating flight J2-8243 on the Baku-Grozny route, made an emergency landing approximately 3 kilometers from the city of Aktau. Additional information regarding the incident will be provided to the public."
Footage from the scene showed ambulances at the crash site, with some people being rescued and exiting the aircraft through the emergency exit at the rear. The aircraft's registration number, 4K-AZ65, visible in the video, matches the data listed on FlightRadar24.
Data from the online flight tracking site, FlightRadar24, indicated that the aircraft was flying over the Caspian Sea and heading toward its destination in Chechnya. As it entered Russian airspace, the plane began circling near the airport, requesting an emergency landing. At 6:28 am UTC (11:58 am local time), the flight crashed near the Caspian Sea shore, a few kilometers from the airport. FlightRadar24 reported that the aircraft experienced "strong GPS jamming," which caused it to transmit faulty ADS-B data.
Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) is an advanced surveillance system that integrates an aircraft's positioning source, avionics, and ground infrastructure to provide an accurate interface for monitoring between aircraft and Air Traffic Control.
ALSO READ: Manipur: Security Forces Recover Explosives, Firearms And Ammunition On Imphal-Churachandpur Route
ALSO WATCH: