An Azerbaijan Airlines plane carrying 67 on board crashed near Kazakhstan’s city of Aktau, killing 38 people.
According to CNN, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev confirmed that 29 people, including two children, survived the horrific plane crash on Christmas Day, among whom 11 are in critical condition.
Bozumbayev said, “The bodies are in poor condition, mostly burnt, all collected. Now they will be in the mortuary, and identification will take place,” adding that there is only one survivor whose identity remains unknown because “she is unconscious, has no documents, and is in the hospital.”
Moreover, people present at the site witnessed devastating scenes that broke them into tears.
Elmira, who joined rescue efforts, told Radio Free Europe’s Kazakh Service, “The 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.”
“A little girl came out. She looked at me and said, ‘Save my mom; my mom is still there. She was crying and begging, ‘Please save her, save her,’” she recalled.
Elmira further described that the survivors were led to the bus until the ambulance arrived to “prevent people from freezing,” as it was cold outside and none of them had jackets.
