Harrowing footage in Azerbaijan Airlines plane seconds before crash shows horror extent of damage

A video message recorded by a scared passenger and sent to his wife during a plane crash has revealed the terror inside the doomed jet.

In the phone footage passengers appear to know the aircraft is going down, as some can be heard praying, while others are seen panicking. Oxygen masks can be seen hanging from above the seats and men can be seen standing in the aisle.

The clip also shows part of the plane's interior hanging off and a deflated yellow life jacket is thrown over another chair. The footage ends with debris everywhere after what appears to have been a crash landing. One man is trying to escape through an open broken window, while others appear to be pinned to their seats.

Oxygen masks fell from the ceiling (Image:BNODesk/Twitter)

The passenger sent a video to his wife from onboard (Image:BNODesk/Twitter)

The doomed Azerbaijan Airlines jet hit the ground and burst into a fireball in Aktau, Kazakhstan in a Christmas Day disaster. The Embraer E190AR sent a distress signal following a collision with a bird as it had intended to reach Grozny in Russia.

There were at least 32 survivors, although 38 people are confirmed to have died in the smash, according to Kazakhstan Health Minister Akmaral Alnazarova. Seven of the survivors, including two girls aged 11 and 16, are said to be in critical condition.

The pilot tried to bring the jet down safely when he reported a bird strike after being diverted from his original destination due to thick fog. But the plane came down two miles from an airport and the fuselage split, part of it bursting into burst into flames. Videos of stunned passengers climbing from the wreckage were posted online.

The Azerbaijan Airlines flight was carrying 62 passengers and five crew when it crashed in Kazakhstan. Two of the surviving passengers, girls aged 11 and 16, are recovering in hospital. Dramatic footage showed the pilot pulling the plane out of a steep fall as he sought to regain control.

The wreckage of Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 lays on the ground near the airport of Aktau (Image:AP)

But the aircraft crashed, exploding in flames. The two main sites of the wreck were hundreds of yards apart. A Ministry of Health spokesman said: "The girls are receiving all the necessary medical care in hospitals in the region. Twenty-three ambulance teams were mobilised to the scene of the incident.”

Additional footage taken by people who rushed to the scene has shown the smouldering wreckage of the aircraft, including holes punched into its exterior. The strange "bullet hole" marks on the fuselage are raising new questions over the cause of the air disaster as surviving passengers and crew speak of an "explosion" hitting the plane.

Both pilots died and only one flight attendant, a woman, survived. The authorities said it was impossible to confirm the number of dead. The plane caught fire as it attempted to make an emergency landing near the city of Aktau. Other videos posted online showed the plane heading towards the ground at high speed, with its landing gear down.

Firefighters at the scene (Image:Kazakhstan's emergency situation)

The airline said the plane "made an emergency landing” two miles from Aktau. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev cut short a visit to Russia, where he was due to attend a summit. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "Unfortunately, Azerbaijan’s President Aliyev was forced to leave St Petersburg.

"Putin has already called him and expressed his condolences in connection with the crash of the Azerbaijani plane in Aktau. We deeply sympathise with those who lost their relatives and friends in this plane crash and wish a speedy recovery to all those who managed to survive."

Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 was en route from the Azerbaijani capital Baku to Grozny in Russia when it was diverted because of fog. The Embraer 190 aircraft took off from Baku at 3.55am and crashed at 6.28 am according to data from flight-tracking website Flightradar24.

Emergency workers at the site (Image:AFP via Getty Images)

Those on board were mostly Azerbaijani nationals, but there were also some passengers from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. The Kazakhstan government has set up a commission to investigate the cause of the crash. A spokesman said: "The Commission was instructed to immediately fly to the scene of the accident, ensure a comprehensive investigation into the causes of the crash.”

Azerbaijan’s First Lady, Mehriban Aliyeva, who is also the vice-president, said she was "deeply saddened by the news of the tragic loss of lives in the plane crash near Aktau”. She said: "I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims. Wishing them strength and patience. I also wish a speedy recovery to the injured.”

Dazed and bloodied passengers were seen emerging from the severed rear of the plane. Some sat in shock on the ground after escaping from the aircraft. Others managed to walk clear.