The Kazakh transport ministry issued a statement on Telegram, confirming that the plane, which was traveling on the Baku-Grozny route, crashed near Aktau.

An oxygen tank explosion inside an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet is believed to have caused the crash of Flight J2-8243 on Wednesday in western Kazakhstan, according to a report by News18 citing Kazakh media outlets. The report also indicated that passengers aboard the flight began to lose consciousness before the crash occurred.

The Embraer 190 aircraft, which was en route from Baku to Grozny, veered hundreds of miles off its scheduled path before crashing on the opposite shore of the Caspian Sea near Aktau. Russia’s aviation watchdog suggested a bird strike may have caused the incident, Reuters reported.

Oxygen tank explosion likely cause of Azerbaijan Airlines crash in Kazakhstan: Report
https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/oxygen-tank-explosion-likely-cause-of-azerbaijan-airlines-crash-in-kazakhstan-report-12897853.html

Earthquake M5.7 - Southeast of Honshu, Japan - Thu, 26 Dec 2024 21:02:25 UTC (21:02 GMT) - 1 hour ago
more info: https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquakes/quake-info/10052397/mag5quake-Dec-26-2024-Southeast-of-Honshu-Japan.html
via Volcanoes & Earthquakes App - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.volcanodiscovery.volcanodiscovery

Panama rejects Trump’s canal control demand

Panama’s leader has dismissed Trump’s threat to restore US control over the key transoceanic canal

https://www.rt.com/news/610045-panama-rejects-trump-canal/

Lots of Helicopters and a few 👻 today in NY.

Reports of explosion and fire at petrochemical facility in Coatzacoalcos, Mexico; no immediate word on casualties.

Pahoa, Hawaii

No sismic activity in the area over the past 24 hours. Some folks in Redmond reported hearing a loud boom earlier today, that is not usually associated with earthquakes. Here is the latest Earthquake graphic from the USGS.

🔗 KTVZ NewsChannel 21 (@KTVZ)

Gaza, Israel

Abadan, Iran