BREAKING NEWS: FlyDubai plane crashes in Russia; 61 aboard dead - report

A passenger plane with at least 55 passengers and six crew on board has crashed in the southern Russian city as it was landing at the Rostov-on-Don airport, the country's Southern Regional Emergency Center said Saturday, March 19.

State news agency in Russia has reported that all people on board the FlyDubai Boeing 738-800 have died in the incident.


The aircraft departed from Dubai International (DXB) at 18:20 GMT bound for Rostov on Don (ROV). The accident occurred in Rostov on Don at approximately 00:50 GMT.
"We are aware of an incident involving our flight FZ981 from Dubai to Rostov On Don. We are investigating further details and will publish an update once more information is available," Fly Dubai airliner said in a statement on Facebook.

Here's the latest statement from flydubai:

"flydubai regrets to confirm that flight FZ981 crashed on landing and that fatalities have been confirmed as a result of this tragic accident. The aircraft departed from Dubai International (DXB) at 18:20 GMT bound for Rostov on Don (ROV). The accident occurred in Rostov on Don at approximately 00:50 GMT.

We are doing all we can to gather information as quickly as possible. At this moment our thoughts and prayers are with our passengers and our crew who were on board the aircraft.


We will do everything we can to help those who have been affected by this accident.

We are putting our emergency response in place and we will be working closely with all the authorities involved. We will share as much information as possible just as soon as we can and we will provide updated information on a regular basis.

For any concerned friends or family: + 44 203 4508 853 or +9714 293 4100.
For media enquiries: +1 407 205 1813
For media enquiries (Arabic Only): +971 52 517 4642."
Meanwhile, initial report of BBC said possible cause of the crash were but poor visibility and high winds.

"We're aware of reports coming out of Russia and our team is currently gathering more details," Boeing Airplanes has tweeted.

FlyDubai, a low cost carrier launched in 2009 with its hub in Dubai, operates flights to some 90 destinations.

This a developing story. Refresh page for the updates.

Woman purchases Apple iPhone 6s online, but gets a Pear phone

A woman from Wuxi in southern Jiangsu province in China got the biggest shock of her life after opening a package supposedly containing the iPhone 6s she purchased online. Instead of finding the highly anticipated Apple smartphone, the woman found herself unboxing a fake iPhone with a “pear” on the back.

The woman identified as “Zhao” apparently bought the phone for only 3,400 RMB or a little over $500. In contrast, an iPhone 6s normally costs around $690 so Zhao assumed that she got a great deal online.

However, Zhao had to give additional 5,000 RMB or $770 to the seller after she was informed that the Customs have gotten hold of her gadget. The seller even promised to refund the money back once she receives her phone. Still unsuspicious of the online seller’s dirty tactics, Zhao transferred the money.

PHOTO CREDIT: Shanghaiist

Although a package arrived at her house, Zhao soon learned that she spent 8,400 RMB or $1,300 for an imitation of the iPhone 6s with a pear logo at the back. She attempted to contact the online fraudster but as expected, the scumbag had already blacklisted her.

PHOTO CREDIT: Shanghaiist

People who pretend to be legitimate online sellers and operate a fake online shop are called online shopping scammers. They take advantage of the anonymous nature of the internet to get money from unsuspecting shoppers. They usually use fake retailer websites and offer suspicious payment methods such as wire transfer, money order and pre-loaded money card.

Shoppers should consider it as a warning sign when the price or the features of the product being advertised sound too good to be true. When the seller insists on immediate payment particularly via electronic funds transfer or wire service, it can also be a sign that he or she is not a legitimate seller.

Before purchasing items online, make sure to buy the product from a legitimate and reputable online shop. Check out seller ratings and do some research online before paying for the product. Lastly, always pay through a secure payment service. -Mini, The Summit Express