Moscow, 25 December 2024 (dpa/MIA) - An Azerbaijani passenger plane has crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan, Kazakh media reported on Wednesday, with the number of people on board initially unclear.

Kazakh state news agency Kazinform said 105 passengers and five crew members had been on board the plane, while the Tengrinews agency reported that 67 people were on the aircraft, which was travelling from the Azerbaijani capital Baku to Grozny, the capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya.

Kazakh Health Minister Akmaral Alnazarova was quoted as saying that at least six people survived the crash.

Other reports suggested 12 people had been injured and brought to hospital.

As the aircraft crashed near Aktau airport on the Caspian Sea, numerous videos of the accident were shared on social media, showing a dense column of black smoke above the crash site.

Grozny airport had reportedly been closed due to fog, forcing the aircraft to divert to Makhachkala, the capital of the Russian republic of Dagestan.

The cause of the crash was initially unclear.

Photo: screenshot