Many people are feared dead after a plane carrying 60 people crashed while making an emergency landing near Kazakhstan’s Aktau city on Wednesday. The authorities said that twelve people survived the crash.

Russian news agencies reported that Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 was en route from Baku to Grozny in Russia, but was rerouted due to fog in Grozny.

Furthermore, Kazakh media had initially reported that 110 people – 105 passengers and five crew members were on board. Later, the authorities revised the number to 72 – 67 passengers and five crew members.

A visual showed the moment the plane loses altitude and makes a rapid descent before it crashes and bursts into flames. As the plane crashes, plumes of smoke are seen rising on the spot. The plane crashed into an open field and burst into flames.

Kazakhstan’s emergency ministry stated that emergency services extinguished the fire at the crash site, adding that survivors were rushed to a nearby hospital for medical assistance.

Azerbaijan Airlines in a statement said the flight had made an emergency landing approximately three kilometres near Aktau. It added that the Embraer 190 aircraft operated by Azerbaijan Airlines, flight numbered J2-8243 on the Baku-Grozny route, made an emergency landing approximately three kilometres near the city of Aktau. Additional information regarding the incident will be provided to the public, it mentioned. Reports stated that the authorities said they had begun looking into different possible versions of what had happened, including a technical problem.

Meanwhile, in another recent deadly plane crash, 10 people died on Sunday after a small aircraft crashed in a Brazilian town that’s popular with tourists. The 10 deceased were passengers and crew on board. Over a dozen people on the ground were injured in the incident, Brazil’s Civil Defence Agency said.

The Civil Defence Agency said that the plane hit the chimney of a home and then the second floor of a building before crashing into a mobile phone shop in a largely residential neighbourhood of Gramado.  It was not immediately clear what caused the crash.

Five soldiers lost their lives and several others were injured when an Army vehicle veered off the road and fell into a deep gorge in the Balnoi area of Mendhar, Poonch district, Jammu and Kashmir, on Tuesday, according to officials.

The incident occurred as the vehicle, part of the 11 Madras Light Infantry (11 MLI), was traveling from Nilam Headquarters to Balnoi Ghora Post. Reports indicate that the vehicle plunged approximately 350 feet into a steep gorge near its destination.

Upon learning of the accident, the Quick Reaction Team from 11 MLI rapidly mobilized to the scene to initiate rescue operations. The injured personnel received immediate medical attention, and efforts are currently underway to evacuate them for further treatment.

In a message on X, the White Knight Corps expressed their deep condolences for the tragic loss of five courageous soldiers, stating, “All ranks of #WhiteKnightCorps extend their deepest condolences on the tragic loss of five brave soldiers in a vehicle accident during operational duty in the #Poonch sector. Rescue operations are ongoing, and the injured personnel are receiving medical care.”

“Today at around 17:40 hrs (5.40 pm), an Army vehicle of 11 Maratha Light Infantry, which was on its way from from Nilam headquarters to Balnoi Ghora Post along the LoC, met with an accident near Ghora Post,” said officials.

This incident follows a similar accident last month, where one Army personnel died and another was injured when their vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a gorge in Rajouri district, Jammu and Kashmir. This crash, which occurred on November 4 near Badog village in Kalakote, resulted in Naik Badri Lal and Sepoy Jai Prakash suffering critical injuries; Lal ultimately succumbed to his injuries while in treatment.

On November 2, another tragedy struck when a vehicle skidded off a hilly road in Reasi district, claiming the lives of a woman and her 10-month-old son, while three others sustained serious injuries.

In an unfortunate incident, a 3-year-old girl has been trapped in a 700-feet borewell in Rajasthan’s Kiratpur village for more than 20 hours. A rescue operation is currently underway to save her life.

Reportedly, officials from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and local administration, are involved in the rescue operation.

Speaking to the media, Sub Division Magistrate (SDM) Brajesh Choudhary stated that significant progress has been made in the operation and NDRF has been trying to pull the toddler out of the borewell.

He said that the teams of NDRF, SDRF, and administration have been trying to carry out the rescue operations. He added that they have placed a ring below the girl so they are hoping they can rescue her soon. He also affirmed that there has been no deterioration in the girl’s medical conditions.

As per SDRF Sub-Inspector Ravi Kumar, the rescue teams are facing significant challenges due to the compact soil surrounding the borewell. He explained that they are trying to reach the girl but because there is a lot of soil around her they have not been able to rescue her right now. He noted that the soil around her is set due to the moisture but they are trying to dig in the moisture. He said that as of now, they are not sure how much time it will take but they are trying their best.

Reports stated that the authorities have been at the spot since the incident was first reported, ensuring that the girl is rescued and handed over to her family safely.

Additionally, specialised equipment and techniques have been deployed to carefully dig and secure the area around the borewell while ensuring that the child is not harmed in any way.

In order to ensure her safe return, medical personnel are also present to monitor the child’s condition, while local authorities have cordoned off the area to maintain safety and minimise disruptions.