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"Don't worry, tell mom not to worry. Thank God we're safe, thank you. I got a stitch almost all the way up my arm"
That was Zulfugar Asadov, a flight attendant of Embraer E190 speaking on the phone with her loved ones.
He was in the Embraer passenger plane travelling from Azerbaijan to Russia that crashed near the city of Aktau, in Kazakhstan.
According to local authorities, 38 people have died and 29 survivors are receiving treatment in hospital, some, in critical condition.
Of the 67 on board, 42 were Azerbaijan citizens, 16 Russians, 6 citizens of Kazakhstan and 3 people from Kyrgyzstan.
The Azerbaijan Airlines flight from Baku to Grozny, capital of the Chechnya region in Russia, flew hundreds of kilometres off course before crashing on the opposite shore of the Caspian Sea.
Journalist Aigerim Kali says the pilot requested an emergency landing about 3 kilometres from Aktau.
"The circumstances of the incident are being clarified and special investigation will be conducted, according to the Ministry of Transport, which reported on Wednesday, the plane flying from Baku to Grozny requested an emergency landing in Aktau appeared at 11:20 local time. According to the press service of the Grozny airport, the reason for the change of the route was the thick fog. The plane was first redirected to Makhachkala, the capital city of Dagestan, and then to Aktau."
The president of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, confirmed that the plane changed its course due to bad weather conditions, but says that the cause of the crash is still unknown.
"The reasons for the crash are not yet known to us. There are various theories, but I believe it is premature to discuss them. The matter must be thoroughly investigated. A criminal case has been launched by the Prosecutor General's Office, and naturally, the Azerbaijani public will be regularly informed about both the results of the commission's work and the progress of the criminal case."
Kenan Zeynalov, from the Prosecutor General's Office says all possibilities are being considered.
"Currently, the investigation process is ongoing in cooperation with the Prosecutor's Office of Kazakhstan. All versions are being explored in the criminal case. At this moment, we cannot provide any conclusions regarding the investigation. Expert examinations are being conducted and an investigation group, led by the Deputy Prosecutor General of the Republic of Azerbaijan, is already at work."
In a Telegram statement, Russia's aviation watchdog affirmed that preliminary analyses indicated that a collision with birds caused an emergency situation on board, and led to the captain to decide to change the route and go to an alternative landing field.
However, according to Richard Aboulafia, an analyst at the consultancy AeroDynamic Advisory, a collision with birds normally causes the plane to land on the nearest available field, being a change of route not the standard procedure.
Authorities in two Russian regions next to Chechnya, Ingushetia and North Ossetia, also reported drone strikes on Wednesday [[dec 25]] morning
Meanwhile, the monitoring website, Flighradar24, points out that the plane suffered GPS interference and fluctuated in altitude for 74 minutes before crashing and exploding.
According to Kazakhstan's Emergencies Ministry, firefighters were able to put out the fire and rescue survivors, including two children who have been hospitalised.
One of the rescuers says he saw the aircraft falling.
"We saw the plane crash with our own eyes and quickly packed up to head to the scene for rescue. Later, personnel from the Ministry of Emergency Situations and hospital staff members arrived. About 10 of us went there. We brought a crane to help rescue people from the cabin."
Authorities in Kazakhstan say that a government commission has been set up to investigate what happened, and its members have been ordered to fly to the scene and ensure that the families of the dead and injured are receiving the necessary help.
Also, Azerbaijan Airlines spokesman Farid Huseynov affirms the company will also cooperate.
"A medical team and necessary medical equipment have been sent to Kazakhstan by air. A hotline has been established for the family members of the passengers on board, and the public has been informed about it. Psychological support will be provided to the family members of all passengers, regardless of nationality, as well as to the injured passengers."
Azerbaijan Airlines has suspended flights from Baku to Russia's Chechnya region until the investigation is completed - and the manufacturer Embraer has emphasised it will support the authorities' efforts.
The Kazakh government has also stated that it will cooperate with Azerbaijan in the investigation.
The president of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has decided to return from Russia, where he was due to attend a summit.
