A passenger on board the doomed plane recorded a video, talking to the camera. He sent the video message to his wife, before the plane went down and burst into flames in Aktau, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: Footage from inside cabin shows moments before Azerbaijan Airlines crash
A video clip reported to be from inside a plane moments before it crashed with 100 people on board has emerged.
The doomed Azerbaijan Airlines jet hit the ground and burst into a fireball in Aktau, Kazakhstan in a Christmas Day disaster. The Embraer E190AR sent a distress signal following a collision with a bird as it had intended to reach Grozny in Russia. From the phone camera footage it appears that passengers were aware the plane was going down, as some can be heard praying, while oxygen masks can be seen hanging from above the seats. The man on board, was talking to the camera and sent a message to his wife. There were at least 28 survivors, although it is feared many died, according to Kazakhstan Health Minister Akmaral Alnazarova said. Seven of the surviovors including two girls aged 11 and 16, are said to be in critical conditions.
The plane declared the emergency situation at an altitude of 2,125 feet over the Caspian Sea. It hit a bird – or several birds – and then came plummeting down, smashing to the ground at speed. Kazaeronavigatsiya, the Kazakhstan air navigation service, said: “An Embraer 190 AHY8243 aircraft travelling on the Baku-Grozny route declared an emergency situation due to collision with a bird and violation of steering control. The aircraft was carrying 105 passengers and five crew members.”
Those on board were mostly Azerbaijani nationals, but there were also some passengers from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Both Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have launched investigations into the accident.
