At least 38 people were killed when an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau. The Embraer 190 aircraft, carrying 62 passengers and five crew members, went down on Wednesday after attempting an emergency landing about three kilometers (1.8 miles) from Aktau.

Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev confirmed the death toll, stating, “The situation is not very good, 38 dead,” as reported by Russia’s Interfax news agency.

The plane was en route from Baku, the Azerbaijani capital, to Grozny in Russia’s North Caucasus. According to Azerbaijan’s prosecutor general’s office, 32 people survived the crash. “We cannot disclose any investigation results at this time. All possible scenarios are being examined,” the office said in a statement.

A deputy prosecutor general from Azerbaijan is leading an investigative team at the crash site in Kazakhstan. Azerbaijan Airlines has suspended flights from Baku to Chechnya pending the investigation, according to TASS.

Preliminary reports suggest the plane requested an alternative landing due to heavy fog in Grozny before the crash. Passengers included citizens from Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.

Russia’s aviation watchdog reported that a bird strike may have prompted the emergency landing. Aktau is located across the Caspian Sea from Azerbaijan and Russia.

Kazakh authorities have launched a government commission to investigate the incident, ensuring support for the victims’ families.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev cut short a visit to Russia following the tragedy. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov both expressed condolences to the victims’ families.

The airline has established a hotline for family members seeking information.