Criminal case launched over Azerbaijan Airlines crash in Kazakhstan

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev reacted said on Wednesday that a criminal case had been brought over the AZAL passenger plane crash in Aktau, Kazakhstan.

"The Azerbaijani public will be regularly informed about both the results of the commission's work and the progress of the criminal case," said Aliyev during a briefing upon his emergency from the "Unofficial CIS Summit" in St. Petersburg.

The Azerbaijani airliner with 67 people onboard crashed Wednesday near the Kazakhstani city of Aktau, killing 38 people and leaving 29 survivors, a Kazakh official said.

The Embraer 190 was en route from the Azerbaijani capital of Baku to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus when it was diverted and attempted an emergency landing 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from Aktau, Azerbaijan Airlines said.