"Rosaviatsiya" (Federal Air Transport Agency) has released information regarding the crash of an AZAL plane near Aktau airport.

Axar.az reports that, according to initial information from the agency, after the aircraft collided with birds, the captain decided to fly to an alternative airport in Aktau.

"After the collision with the bird, due to the emergency situation on board, the commander decided to fly to an alternative airport and chose Aktau," the report stated.

It should be noted that the AZAL plane, which was flying from Baku to Grozny, could not land at the airport due to fog. Initial reports indicated that the plane was first directed to Makhachkala and later to Aktau. The plane collided with a flock of birds over the Caspian Sea and issued an SOS signal, and then crashed 3 km from Aktau airport.

According to the latest information from Kazakhstan's Ministry of Emergency Situations, 28 people have been rescued from the crash and taken to hospitals. Seven of the injured are in critical condition.