MOSCOW, December 26. /TASS/. A survivor of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in Aktau, Subkhonkul Rakhimov from Yekaterinburg, shared with TASS his admiration for a flight attendant who, in his view, displayed remarkable steadfastness and courage, continuing to perform her duties impeccably even during critical moments of the incident.
"The flight attendant, who was closest to the pilots, remained steadfast despite the terrifying situation, especially for a woman," Rakhimov said. "She carried out all her duties and responsibilities, even under such dire circumstances," he added.
"At her command, I obeyed and pressed myself against the backrest," Rakhimov added. He emphasized that "she performed her duties perfectly."
"When a woman tells you to 'calm down' - I remember a man causing a commotion about something - you have to stay calm. She mostly spoke in Azerbaijani, reassuring everyone," the man said.
The Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190, en route from Baku to Grozny, crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on December 25. The plane carried 67 people, including 62 passengers, mainly citizens of Azerbaijan, as well as nationals of Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, and five crew members. According to the latest reports, 38 people, including seven Russians, were killed, while 29 others survived. A special flight sent by Russia’s Emergencies Ministry has transported nine Russian citizens, including a child, injured in the air crash, from Aktau.