Aktau, Kazakhstan - An Embraer passenger jet carrying 62 passengers and five crew members from Azerbaijan to Russia crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan on Wednesday. Kazakh authorities confirmed that 28 people survived the incident.

Unverified video footage captured the plane, operated by Azerbaijan Airlines, bursting into flames upon impact. Thick black smoke billowed from the crash site as injured passengers were seen emerging from a section of the fuselage that remained intact.

The Kazakh emergencies ministry reported that firefighters extinguished the blaze and that survivors, including two children, were receiving medical attention at a nearby hospital. Recovery efforts for the deceased are underway.

Azerbaijan Airlines stated that the Embraer 190 jet, flight number J2-8243, was en route from Baku to Grozny, the capital of Russia's Chechnya region, when it was forced to make an emergency landing approximately 3 kilometers from Aktau.

Kazakh authorities have established a government commission to investigate the cause of the crash. The commission has been instructed to travel to the site and ensure that families of the deceased and injured receive necessary support. Kazakhstan has pledged to cooperate with Azerbaijan in the investigation.

Russia's aviation watchdog released a statement suggesting that a bird strike may have prompted the pilot's decision to attempt an emergency landing.

Following the crash, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, who was scheduled to attend a summit in Russia, is returning to his home country.

Ramzan Kadyrov, the Kremlin-backed leader of Chechnya, expressed his condolences and acknowledged the critical condition of some survivors. He pledged prayers for their swift recovery.

This article provides a concise and informative overview of the tragic plane crash, including the number of casualties, the circumstances surrounding the incident, and the ongoing investigation.