This is the horrific moment a passenger plane with 72 people on board hit the ground in a fireball in a Christmas Day crash landing in Kazakhstan.

The Azerbaijan Airlines passenger aircraft crashed near Kazakhstan’s Aktau Airport close to the Caspian Sea on Wednesday morning, December 25, Kazakh authorities said, with up to 40 people feared de@d.

The aircraft was flying from Baku in Azerbaijan to Grozny in Russia, the Transport Ministry said in a post to its official Telegram channel. It was rerouted to Aktau in Kazakhstan due to fog in Grozny, Russian news agencies reported.

Footage of the crash showed the plane bursting into flames as it hit the ground and thick black smoke then rising.

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations said that the plane was carrying 69 people — 64 passengers and five crew members.

The ministry said 29 people survived the crash, with many hospitalized.

Two children were among those hospitalized, the ministry said in a post to its Telegram channel.

Kazakhstan’s deputy health minister told ABC News that some of those taken to hospital are in critical condition.

Kazakh authorities have initiated an investigation into the crash, focusing on reported bird strike, mechanical failure and the decision to reroute the flight due to adverse weather conditions, Kazakh aviation authorities told ABC News.

Among the passengers were 37 Azerbaijani citizens, six from Kazakhstan, three from Kyrgyzstan, and 16 from Russia, the Transport Ministry said in a statement, citing “preliminary data.”

Azerbaijan Airlines said in a post to X that the aircraft “made an emergency landing” around 2 miles from Aktau. The aircraft was an Embraer 190 model with flight number J2-8243, it said.

A young man identified as Anya has tragically ended his life, allegedly over a failed relationship that involved significant financial losses.

Reports indicate that Anya had spent over six million naira of his savings on his ex-girlfriend, including roofing her father’s house, with the expectation of marrying her. However, the relationship took a different turn when the woman reportedly refused to marry him or refund the money he had invested.

Despite repeated efforts to recover the funds, Anya’s attempts proved unsuccessful. His lifeless body was discovered alongside a note.

Our thoughts are with Anya’s family and loved ones during this difficult time. May his soul rest in peace.

Moral lesson: Never spend more than you can afford to lose in a relationship, as love can fade. Your love for someone today might not be the same tomorrow. Always give what you can comfortably afford while in a relationship.

Dele Farotimi, activist lawyer and author of the controversial book Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System, has doubled down on allegations he made against Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Afe Babalola, maintaining that his claims are truthful.

Farotimi, who addressed journalists on Tuesday following his release from the Ekiti State Correctional Centre, stated, “I have never lied against anyone. If I don’t know, I will say I don’t know. The truth is enough—it is the only weapon with which you can slay the monster called Nigeria.”

Farotimi was granted bail by a magistrate court in Ado-Ekiti on Friday, December 20, with conditions including a bond of ₦30 million, two sureties, one of whom must be a property owner, submission of his passport and a prohibition on granting media interviews once released.

He met the conditions and was subsequently freed from detention, where he had been held since his arrest earlier this month over allegations of defamation against Afe Babalola, the founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD).

Farotimi was arrested over statements in his book, which accused Babalola of unethical practices within Nigeria’s criminal justice system. Despite being accused of defamation, the lawyer insists his claims are based on facts.

“I understand the challenges that come with fighting entrenched powers, but I remain steadfast in my commitment to the truth,” Farotimi stated.