Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport announced on Wednesday the crash of a passenger plane belonging to Azerbaijan Airlines near the city of Aktau in western Kazakhstan. The aircraft, an Embraer 190, was carrying 62 passengers and 5 crew members on a flight from Baku to Grozny, Russia.

Authorities confirmed that 28 people survived the crash and are receiving medical care at a nearby hospital. Firefighters successfully extinguished the fire caused by the incident.

According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing approximately 3 kilometers from Aktau after the aircraft collided with a flock of birds, resulting in engine failure.

Azerbaijan Airlines stated that flight J2-8243 had diverted its route due to heavy fog in Grozny before the crash occurred.