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Reuters: Exclusive: People on crashed Azerbaijani plane say they heard bangs before it went down
Reuters - Exclusive: People on crashed Azerbaijani plane say they heard bangs before it went down
By Gleb Stolyarov and Nailia Bagirova
December 27, 20248:58 AM EST
BAKU, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Two passengers and one crew member on the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan told Reuters that they heard at least one loud bang as it approached its original destination of Grozny in southern Russia.
Flight J2-8243 crashed on Wednesday in a ball of fire near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from an area of southern Russia where Moscow has repeatedly used air defence systems against Ukrainian attack drones. At least 38 people were killed while 29 survived.
"After the bang...I thought the plane was going to fall apart," Subhonkul Rakhimov, one of the passengers, told Reuters from hospital.
He said he had begun to recite prayers and prepare for the end after hearing the bang.
"It was obvious that the plane had been damaged in some way," he said. "It was as if it was drunk - not the same plane anymore."
Another passenger on the plane told Reuters that she also heard a loud bang.
/snip
By Gleb Stolyarov and Nailia Bagirova
December 27, 20248:58 AM EST
Summary
•There was at least one loud bang - passenger
•I thought I was going to die - passenger
•Second passenger confirms there was a bang
•Flight attendant: there were three bangs
•Russian watchdog: flight diverted due to fog and drones
BAKU, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Two passengers and one crew member on the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan told Reuters that they heard at least one loud bang as it approached its original destination of Grozny in southern Russia.
Flight J2-8243 crashed on Wednesday in a ball of fire near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from an area of southern Russia where Moscow has repeatedly used air defence systems against Ukrainian attack drones. At least 38 people were killed while 29 survived.
"After the bang...I thought the plane was going to fall apart," Subhonkul Rakhimov, one of the passengers, told Reuters from hospital.
He said he had begun to recite prayers and prepare for the end after hearing the bang.
"It was obvious that the plane had been damaged in some way," he said. "It was as if it was drunk - not the same plane anymore."
Another passenger on the plane told Reuters that she also heard a loud bang.
/snip
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