What we know so far about the Azerbaijani plane crash that killed more than 30 people

An Azerbaijani passenger plane bound for Russia crashed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday after being diverted, killing 38 of the 67 people on board.

Here’s what is known so far.

How did the plane crash?

The Azerbaijan Airlines plane Embraer 190 was on its way from the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus on Wednesday when its course was diverted for reasons that are not yet completely clear.

The plane crashed while trying to land in Aktau, Kazakhstan, after flying east across the Caspian Sea.

The plane fell near the coast, three kilometers from Aktau. Mobile phone footage circulated online showed the plane landing hard before hitting the ground and exploding in a fireball.

Rescuers transferred 29 people who survived the accident to hospitals.

How did Azerbaijan react?

Azerbaijan declared a national day of mourning on Thursday. National flags across the country were flown at half-mast, traffic across the country stopped at noon, and signals were sounded from ships and trains.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in a press conference on Wednesday that the weather forced the plane to change its scheduled course.

What do officials and experts say about the possible cause?

Kazakh, Azerbaijani and Russian authorities say they are investigating the incident. Embraer told The Associated Press in a statement that the company “stands ready to assist all relevant authorities.”

The Russian Civil Aviation Authority, Rozavyatsia, said that preliminary information indicates that the pilots diverted to Aktau after a bird collision led to an emergency on board the plane.

Some commentators claimed that the holes seen in the tail of the plane in the photo after the accident may indicate that it may have come under fire from Russian air defense systems to repel an attack by a Ukrainian drone.

Osprey Flight Solutions, a UK-based aviation security company, warned its clients that “the Azerbaijan Airlines flight was likely shot down by a Russian military air defense system.”

Osprey CEO Andrew Nicholson said the company issued more than 200 alerts about drone attacks and air defense systems in Russia during the war.

In response to a question on Thursday about allegations that the plane came under fire from air defense assets, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that “it would be a mistake to make hypotheses before investigators issue their verdict.”

Officials in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan similarly avoided commenting on the possible cause of the crash, saying it was up to investigators to determine.