An Embraer passenger jet traveling from Azerbaijan to Russia crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday, with 62 passengers and five crew members on board. Kazakh authorities confirmed that 32 survivors were rescued. The flight, operated by Azerbaijan Airlines as J2-8243, veered hundreds of miles off course before crashing along the Caspian Sea's opposite shore, possibly due to an emergency triggered by a bird strike, according to Russia's aviation authority.

Details about why the plane deviated from its route remain unclear, but the crash occurred shortly after drone strikes targeted southern Russia. In the past, such activity has disrupted airports in the region. The nearest Russian airport to the plane's route had been closed earlier that morning.

Video footage captured the plane rapidly descending before it erupted into flames upon hitting the shoreline, followed by thick black smoke. Injured passengers were seen emerging from a section of the fuselage that remained intact. The footage was verified by Reuters, showing landmarks near Aktau.

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Emergencies reported that fire crews extinguished the blaze, while survivors, including two children, were transported to a nearby hospital. The bodies of the deceased were being recovered. Azerbaijan Airlines confirmed the plane was en route from Baku to Grozny, Russia, but had to make an emergency landing about 3 kilometers from Aktau after the bird strike incident forced a detour.

Russian authorities suggested the decision to land in Aktau was a result of the emergency situation, and commercial flight tracking websites revealed that the plane had flown off its scheduled route before reappearing over the Caspian Sea near Aktau.

Drone strikes had been reported earlier in the day in Russia’s Ingushetia and North Ossetia regions. Makhachkala airport, the closest to the missing flight's location, was closed to incoming traffic for several hours. An investigation has been launched, with Kazakhstan working alongside Azerbaijan to determine the cause.

Both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev expressed their condolences following the crash. Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechen leader, also offered his sympathies, stating that some survivors were in critical condition and that prayers would be offered for their recovery.