By Mariya Gordeyeva ASTANA (Reuters) -An Embraer passenger plane flying from Azerbaijan to Russia crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan on Wednesday with 62 passengers and five crew on board, Kazakh authorities announced,

Azerbaijan Airlines has revealed the cause of the Embraer 190 plane crash in Kazakhstan. The company believes the crash occurred due to "physical and technical external interference," according to a statement by Azerbaijan Airlines on Twitter (X).

Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologized to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev following the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane in Kazakhstan that resulted in 38 fatalities, according to the Kremlin.

One of the victims of a deadly plane crash in Kazakhstan was buried on Friday. Ramazan Filiev, 26, was one of 38 people killed when Azerbaijan Airlines' Embraer 190 was diverted for reasons still unclear on Wednesday and crashed while making an attempt to land in Aktau in Kazakhstan.

The probe into the Azerbaijan Airlines crash in Kazakhstan is examining the conduct of air traffic controllers after the aircraft encountered difficulty, a source said.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has accused Russia of accidentally shooting down an airliner on Christmas Day in a disaster that killed 38 people, and covering up the cause.

Azerbaijan's president has accused Russia of shooting down a plane that recently crashed under controversial circumstances. The allegation comes amid heightened tensions in the region, with both countries exchanging accusations over security and sovereignty issues.