Terrifying video footage shows passengers on a doomed jet praying just before it crashed in a fireball in Kazakhstan, killing at least 42 people and leaving 29 others injured.
The Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 crashed near the city of Aktau, western Kazakhstan, on Christmas Day, with 67 passengers and five crew members on board.
Footage filmed by a passenger shows terrified people praying and some oxygen masks lowered with damage inside the cabin minutes before the plane crashed and broke apart.
Rescuers were seen crawling into the plane wreck to look for survivors, with bloodied and bruised passengers stumbling from a piece of the fuselage that had remained intact.
One trapped woman was heard shouting “Help me please!” as firefighters climbed through debris to reach her.
The plane had been rerouted from Grozny and another Russian city Makhachkala due to fog, and was attempting to land at Aktau when it crashed.
The wreckage of the plane was seen ablaze in the distance, with a massive fireball where the aircraft hit the ground.
The Ministry of Health said 23 ambulance teams were mobilised to the scene of the incident, and that those being treated in hospital were in an extremely serious condition.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his condolences to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev over the loss of life, while Ramzan Kadyrov, the Kremlin-backed leader of Chechnya, has also offered his condolences.
Kazakhstan has set up a government commission to investigate the crash, and has promised to cooperate with Azerbaijan on the inquiry.
The crash has sent shockwaves across the region, with Aktau residents asked to donate blood for the survivors.
At least ten people died after being thrown out of the plane, with two of the 29 survivors being children, believed to be girls aged 11 and 16.
The plane’s crew had reported a strong impact on the hull before the crash, and it is believed that the explosion of an oxygen tank may have caused the damage.
The aircraft was seen coming in steeply descending its nose pointing down too steeply, with reports suggesting it may have collided with a bird and suffered a steering failure.
The crash has raised questions about the safety of the plane and the cause of the accident, with an investigation underway to determine the exact circumstances.
The families of the dead and injured are being offered support and assistance, with a government commission set up to investigate the crash and ensure that those affected receive the help they need.
The crash has sent shockwaves across the region, with the international community offering its condolences to the families of the victims.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing, with the cause of the accident still unknown.
The families of the victims are being offered support and assistance, with a government commission set up to investigate the crash and ensure that those affected receive the help they need.
The crash has raised questions about the safety of the plane and the cause of the accident, with an investigation underway to determine the exact circumstances.
The international community has offered its condolences to the families of the victims, with the crash sending shockwaves across the region.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing, with the cause of the accident still unknown.
The families of the victims are being offered support and assistance, with a government commission set up to investigate the crash and ensure that those affected receive the help they need.
The crash has raised questions about the safety of the plane and the cause of the accident, with an investigation underway to determine the exact circumstances.
The international community has offered its condolences to the families of the victims, with the crash sending shockwaves across the region.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing, with the cause of the accident still unknown.
The families of the victims are being offered support and assistance, with a government commission set up to investigate the crash and ensure that those affected receive the help they need.
The crash has raised questions about the safety of the plane and the cause of the accident, with an investigation underway to determine the exact circumstances.
The international community has offered its condolences to the families of the victims, with the crash sending shockwaves across the region.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing, with the cause of the accident still unknown.
The families of the victims are being offered support and assistance, with a government commission set up to investigate the crash and ensure that those affected receive the help they need.
The crash has raised questions about the safety of the plane and the cause of the accident, with an investigation underway to determine the exact circumstances.
The international community has offered its condolences to the families of the victims, with the crash sending shockwaves across the region.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing, with the cause of the accident still unknown.
The families of the victims are being offered support and assistance, with a government commission set up to investigate the crash and ensure that those affected receive the help they need.
The crash has raised questions about the safety of the plane and the cause of the accident, with an investigation underway to determine the exact circumstances.
The international community has offered its condolences to the families of the victims, with the crash sending shockwaves across the region.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing, with the cause of the accident still unknown.
The families of the victims are being offered support and assistance, with a government commission set up to investigate the crash and ensure that those affected receive the help they need.
The crash has raised questions about the safety of the plane and the cause of the accident, with an investigation underway to determine the exact circumstances.
The international community has offered its condolences to the families of the victims, with the crash sending shockwaves across the region.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing, with the cause of the accident still unknown.
The families of the victims are being offered support and assistance, with a government commission set up to investigate the crash and ensure that those affected receive the help they need.
The crash has raised questions about the safety of the plane and the cause of the accident, with an investigation underway to determine the exact circumstances.
The international community has offered its condolences to the families of the victims, with the crash sending shockwaves across the region.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing, with the cause of the accident still unknown.
The families of the victims are being offered support and assistance, with a government commission set up to investigate the crash and ensure that those affected receive the help they need.
The crash has raised questions about the safety of the plane and the cause of the accident, with an investigation underway to determine the exact circumstances.
The international community has offered its condolences to the families of the victims, with the crash sending shockwaves across the region.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing, with the cause of the accident still unknown.
The families of the victims are being offered support and assistance, with a government commission set up to investigate the crash and ensure that those affected receive the help they need.
The crash has raised questions about the safety of the plane and the cause of the accident, with an investigation underway to determine the exact circumstances.
The international community has offered its condolences to the families of the victims, with the crash sending shockwaves across the region.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing, with the cause of
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