Flight attendant's haunting final four words before Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash, killing 38 people
The final words from an Azerbaijan Airlines flight attendant involved in the tragic Christmas Day plane crash have been revealed.
Hokuma Aliyeva, 33, was one of the 38 who died on board Azerbaijan Airlines flight 8243 which crashed near the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan on Christmas Day.
The aircraft travelling from Azerbaijan's capital Baku to Grozny in Chechnya, Russia was rerouted due to fog. But it crashed during an emergency landing in the western city of Aktau.
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29 people managed to survive the crash and Russian President Vladimir Putin has since apologised to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev 'for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace'.
Russian defence systems were firing near Grozny on Wednesday due to a Ukrainian drone strike, but the Kremlin did not mention if one its missiles hit the plane.
It is currently unknown what caused the plane to crash, and an investigation has been launched.
Now, footage filmed by a passenger on board has been shared online, and it shows flight attendant Aliyeva trying her best to comfort those during their final moments.
In the clip, her final words were heard, according to a translation by local media.
She started off by saying: "Fasten your seat belts. Dear passengers, please follow the instructions.
"Act accordingly, everything will be fine. Sit down and fasten your seat belt. Do not stand in the aisle, it is dangerous."
Her final words were then: "Everything will be fine."
Survivor and air steward Zulfugar Asadov has explained what he witnessed on the flight, saying: "We departed for Grozny at 8:00am. As we approached for landing, we saw that the airport was covered in very thick fog.
"The captain began descending but had to abort the landing and circle around due to poor visibility, hoping the fog would clear. However, the second and third landing attempts also failed."
After the pilot decided to head to the closest airport, Asadov added: "But at that moment, we heard a strange noise coming from outside the plane. I immediately went into the cabin with my female colleague Aydan Ragimli. We saw panic spreading among the passengers.
"We reassured the passengers, telling them there was no need to worry, that everything was fine, and asked them to stay in their seats and fasten their seatbelts. At that moment, I was cut on the arm by an impact that occurred outside the plane."
He continued: "If the plane had touched down with both the front and rear landing gears at the same time, no one would have survived. When the front landing gear touched the ground, the plane broke into two pieces, and the front cockpit was torn off.
"I remained conscious despite bleeding heavily, but it was very difficult to breathe. Aydan Ragimli and I were lying near the door, and I tried to open it.
"Once the air entered the cabin, breathing became easier. We began helping passengers and evacuating with them. A rescue team was waiting outside. I called them because my hand injury was severe, and I had no strength left.
"I asked them to help evacuate the surviving passengers. I am grateful for their assistance."
Topics: Christmas, Russia, Vladimir Putin, World News
Anish Vij