A tragic plane crash in Kazakhstan has claimed the lives of dozens, local officials report.
The aircraft, which had departed from Azerbaijan and was en route to Grozny, Russia, attempted an emergency landing near the Kazakh city of Aktau due to adverse weather conditions, including heavy fog. The plane caught fire during the landing, according to the airline’s statement.
Footage shows the aircraft descending rapidly with its landing gear deployed before erupting in flames upon landing.
Azerbaijan Airlines reported that the plane “made an emergency landing” approximately 3km (1.9 miles) from the Kazakh city of Aktau.
The flight departed from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, at 03:55 GMT on Wednesday and crashed at around 06:28, according to data from flight-tracking platform Flightradar24.
Russian media outlets suggest the aircraft may have struck a flock of birds before crashing, though this has yet to be officially confirmed.
Conflicting reports from officials have emerged regarding the number of people on board and the survivors. The airline stated that 62 passengers and 5 crew members were aboard the Embraer 190, but other sources estimate the total to be 72. Survivor counts range between 28 and 32.
The majority of passengers were Azerbaijani nationals, with others hailing from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
Unverified video footage shows survivors emerging from the wreckage, some visibly injured.
Authorities in both Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have initiated investigations into the crash. Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer stated it is “ready to assist all relevant authorities.”
The BBC has reached out to Azerbaijan Airlines for comment.
Embraer, known as a smaller competitor to Boeing and Airbus, has maintained a strong safety record over the years.
Kazakhstan authorities reported that dozens of protesters were killed during attacks on government buildings, while at least a dozen security officers also lost their lives, including one found beheaded.
Kazakhstan has been plunged into its worst unrest since gaining independence three decades ago, with dozens of protesters killed in attacks on government buildings. Authorities also reported the deaths of at least 12 security officers, one of whom was found beheaded.
Police spokeswoman Saltanat Azirbek, speaking on state news channel Khabar-24, confirmed that “dozens of attackers were liquidated” during attempts to storm government buildings in Almaty overnight. The city witnessed widespread chaos on Wednesday, including the seizure and burning of the mayor’s office.
By Thursday, Khabar-24 reported that 353 law enforcement officers had been injured in addition to the 12 fatalities.
The unrest, sparked by a sharp increase in liquefied petroleum gas prices, began on Sunday in western Kazakhstan and quickly spread to major cities, including Almaty and the capital, Nur-Sultan. Government buildings have been set on fire, and the situation continues to escalate.
In response, a Russia-led military alliance, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), announced it would deploy peacekeeping troops to Kazakhstan at the request of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
A tragic helicopter crash in Cairns, Australia, claimed the life of the pilot after the aircraft struck the roof of the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel during an early morning flight described by authorities as “unauthorised.” The crash, which occurred around 01:50 local time on Monday, sparked a fire and forced the evacuation of about 400 hotel guests.
Authorities confirmed the pilot, the sole occupant of the helicopter, died at the scene. Two hotel guests, an 80-year-old man and a 70-year-old woman, were hospitalized in stable condition.
Local media reports suggest the helicopter may have been stolen. Nautilus Aviation, the aircraft’s owner, stated they are cooperating fully with Queensland authorities to investigate the “unauthorised use” of their helicopter.
Eyewitness accounts highlighted the dramatic moments before the crash. Amanda Kay, a hotel guest, described seeing the helicopter flying unusually low without lights in rainy weather before it “turned round and hit the building,” exploding upon impact. Another witness noted the helicopter appeared “out of control” as it flew past the hotel twice before the collision.
The impact dislodged two rotor blades, one landing on the esplanade and the other in the hotel pool, according to the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS). “It sounded like a bomb,” said QAS spokeswoman Caitlin Dennings, emphasizing the confusion and panic among hotel guests.
Alastair Salmon, a tourist from London staying at the hotel, recounted the crash as a “colossal ear-deafening bang.” Initially mistaking a detached rotor blade for a lamppost, he realized the severity of the situation when he noticed a large hole in the building’s window.
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Kazakhstan on Wednesday to participate in key regional security and defense discussions, alongside bilateral meetings with global leaders, including those from China and Turkey, the Kremlin announced.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a security alliance established by China and Russia in 2001 to promote stability in Eurasia, is convening its summit on July 3-4 in Astana, Kazakhstan’s capital.
According to the Kremlin, the summit will focus on “the current state and prospects for deepening multifaceted cooperation within the organization and enhancing its activities.”
The participation of Russia and China is expected to heavily influence the discussions. Leaders and representatives from a diverse range of nations—including Azerbaijan, Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan, China, Mongolia, the UAE, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan—are also slated to attend. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is expected to be present as well, according to Russian news reports.
In preparation for the summit, Putin is set to hold several bilateral meetings, including significant talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who plans to visit Moscow later this month, will not attend the summit in person. Instead, India will be represented by Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, confirmed the Indian Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday.
At last year’s virtual summit, the SCO issued a statement criticizing the “unilateral and unlimited expansion of global missile defense systems by certain countries or groups of countries.” While NATO or Western military support for Ukraine was not explicitly mentioned, the critique was widely interpreted as a reference to these activities.
