Listeners:
Top listeners:
play_arrow

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
AKTAU/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – 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, saying that 32 people had survived.
At least 29 survivors, a tally that is believed to include two children, were being treated in a nearby hospital, officials said.
A preliminary assessment suggested that both pilots had died in the crash, Russian media reported, citing medical workers.
Unverified footage of the crash reviewed by Worthy News showed the impact of the collision involving the aircraft operated by Azerbaijan Airlines.
Pieces of the plane were spread out in a field after it burst into flames and hit the ground on the seashore.
Thick black smoke was rising from the crash site, according to eyewitness accounts.
Soon after the crash, bloodied and bruised passengers could be seen stumbling from a piece of the fuselage that had remained intact, witnesses said.
EMERGENCIES MINISTRY
Kazakhstan’s emergencies ministry explained that fire services had put out the blaze and that the bodies of the dead were being recovered.
Azerbaijan Airlines said the Embraer 190 jet, with flight number J2-8243, was flying from Baku to Grozny, the capital of the Chechnya region in southern Russia.
However, it was forced to make an emergency landing around 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from Aktau in Kazakhstan. Aktau is on the opposite shore of the Caspian Sea from Azerbaijan and Russia.
It was not immediately clear what caused the crash. However, authorities in Kazakhstan said a government commission had been set up “to investigate what had happened.”
Unconfirmed reports suggested that the pilot may have attempted an emergency landing due to a bird strike, a hazard that continues to challenge aviation safety worldwide.
The government commission members were ordered to fly to the site on Christmas Day to ensure that the families of the dead and injured were getting the help they needed, officials explained.
However, tragedy marks another significant loss for Azerbaijan Airlines, which experienced several accidents in its history, including a fatal crash in 2005 involving an Antonov An-140 aircraft crashing into the Caspian Sea, killing all 23 passengers and crew on board.
Investigations discovered that three independent gyroscopes were not providing stabilized heading and attitude information to the crew early in the flight, contributing to the crash.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
The Senate on Monday confirmed Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin as the new Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, handing President Donald Trump a key leadership change as the agency faces mounting scrutiny and political pressure. Mullin was approved in a 54–45 vote and is set to replace outgoing Secretary Kristi Noem at the end of the month.
Investigations continued Monday into the shooting of a Dutch police employee in the western Netherlands after he publicly criticized Iran’s Islamic rulers, in a case raising fresh concerns that Tehran’s crackdown on dissent is extending into Europe.
The U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether to strike down state laws allowing mail-in ballots to be received after Election Day.
Scores of Colombian soldiers were feared dead and dozens injured after a military transport plane crashed shortly after takeoff in the country’s remote southern Amazon region, officials said Monday, as Colombia’s defense minister urged prayers for those affected in the largely Catholic country.
Iran on Monday denied claims by U.S. President Donald J. Trump that Washington and Tehran were engaged in “good and productive conversations” toward a potential agreement that could bring “longtime peace” for Israel.
Two pilots were killed and at least a dozen people were injured, including nine who were hospitalized, after an Air Canada Express regional jet collided with a fire truck while landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, authorities confirmed Monday, in a crash that shut down one of the United States’ busiest aviation hubs.
Israel’s expanding military campaign inside Iran is now focusing on key pressure points within the regime’s internal control system—specifically targeting checkpoints and street-level enforcement units—in what analysts believe could open the door for a broader uprising against the Islamic government, according to an exclusive report by the Epoch Times.
The Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs encapsulate the beauty, wisdom, and eternal truths found in the Bible, creating an immersive experience that resonates with believers and seekers alike.
Copyright The New Jerusalem Media.