Survivor of Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash that killed 38 people recalls moment he realised he was alive
A survivor from the devastating Azerbaijan Airlines crash has spoken of the moment he realised he was alive.
The Azerbaijan Airlines crash, which left 38 dead in Kazakhstan, went down on earlier this week. With 67 people on board,Ā 8243ās crash is currently a mystery as investigations are underway.
The plane, which was traveling to Grozny, Ā from Baku, was filmed as it touched down during an emergency landing and went up in flames as soon as it hit the ground.
Miraculously, 29 people survived ā including Zulfugar Asadov, a flight attendant, and Subhonkul Rakhimov, a passenger.
An Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed on Christmas Day, taking 38 lives (Meiramgul Kussainova/Anadolu via Getty Images)
From his hospital bed in Baku, AsadovĀ the New York Times in a phone interview, saying: āThank God Iām alive.ā
Having been in such a deadly crash, itās understandable that it could take a while to come around to the idea that you . Telling Reuters inĀ the moment he realised he had made it, passenger Rakhimov said: āI thought that was my last prayer.ā
āAfter the bangā¦ I thought the plane was going to fall apart,ā he added.
Seated in the back of the aircraft, he said his body was hit by something, and that he was twisting before it all went silent. The only thing that he could hear were people moaning ā which is when he ārealized that we have landedā.
He said. āI didnāt know what to do ā whether to laugh or cry.ā
29 people miraculously survived the deadly crash (Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan/Anadolu via Getty Images )
According to Kazakhstanās Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev, 11 people were in critical condition after being pulled from the wreckage.
He said, CNN: āThe bodies are in poor condition, mostly burnt, all collected. Now they will be in the morgue, and identification will take place.ā
While only one survivorās identity remains unknown, Bozumbayev revealed: āShe is unconscious, has no documents, and is in the hospital.ā
One woman joined the rescue and told Radio Free Europeās Kazakh Service that the scene before her made her cry.
She said: āThe front (part of the plane) was on fire. We rescued the survivors. Their bodies were covered in blood. They were crying. Everyone was asking for help.ā
The woman, known as Elmira, said there were children and teenagers among the survivors.
An investigation is being launched into what caused the plane to go down (Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan/Anadolu via Getty Images)
āA little girl came out. She looked at me and said, āSave my mom, my mom is still thereā. She was crying and begging, āPlease save her, save herā,ā she said.
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Russian officials have gone on to launch anĀ into the crash.
Azerbaijan Airlines has suggested that the plane had suffered āphysical and technical external interference,ā as per translation from the New York Times.
Russian PresidentĀ said a Russian Emergencies Ministry plane with medical personnel and equipment was flying to Kazakhstan to assist in the rescue at a summit for the Commonwealth of Independent States.
He said: āLetās hope for a speedy recovery of the injured ones and, of course, I am sure, a thorough investigation will be carried out. We will coordinate the work of our special and aviation services on all issues related to this tragedy.ā
Featured Image Credit: Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan/Anadolu via Getty Images / Meiramgul Kussainova/Anadolu via Getty Images