First responders have extricated numerous survivors from a plane crash near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan on the Caspian Sea coast, according to local officials and videos from the scene.
The Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer E190AR, which was en route from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, was carrying 62 passengers and five crew members when it went down on Wednesday morning. Officials have yet to provide the exact number of victims, although the Kazakh Ministry of Emergency Situations has put the number of survivors at 28, including two children.
Local media have released footage from the scene showing some of the survivors. One woman is seen in a shell-shocked state but without signs of major injuries, as she is pulled from the hull of the plane while shouting out in pain. The clip also shows a man who was limping but had no other visible injuries.
Other heavily blurred videos from the scene appear to show the bodies of passengers who died in the crash.
According to local media, numerous Aktau residents have lined up at hospitals to donate blood for the victims.
Citing preliminary data, local officials said the tragedy was caused by a bird strike. News outlet Orda cited eyewitnesses as reporting that the impact affected one of the plane’s engines, prompting an oxygen cylinder to explode, with many passengers being rendered unconscious.
Kazakh authorities have announced the creation of a special commission to investigate the crash, with a case being opened into potential violation of safety regulations.