Authorities in Kazakhstan are investigating the cause of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in the country, which killed 38 people and injured 29 others on Christmas Day.The big picture: Flight J2-8243 was diverted while en route from Baku,

Tracking websites detected the flight flying north on its scheduled route along the west coast before its flight path was no longer recorded

A passenger jet operated by Azerbaijan Airlines crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, after diverting from an area of southern Russia where Moscow has repeatedly used air defence systems against Ukrainian attack drones.

Several passenger plane crashes have occurred worldwide this year, including a Wednesday morning Azerbaijan Airlines wreck that has left dozens feared dead.

Survivors of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan reported hearing thuds and explosions from outside the aircraft during the flight, as the cause of the deadly catastrophe remains under investigation.

Azerbaijan Airlines said preliminary results showed the plane experienced "external physical and technical interference".

The black box from the Azerbaijan Airlines crash in Kazakhstan, believed to have been caused by Russian air defense, is being sent to Brazil for investigation, Kazakh authorities reported on Dec. 29.