Elderly passenger reciting shahada survives Azerbaijan Airlines crash

In a miraculous turn of events, an elderly passenger who filmed himself reciting the Shahada as Azerbaijan Airlines Flight J2-8243 approached a deadly crash on Wednesday survived with minor injuries.

The passenger jet, carrying 62 passengers and 5 crew members, crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan, killing 38 and leaving 29 others injured.

The plane had diverted from its original flight path to avoid the airspace of a Russian city that was previously attacked by Ukraine.

Following the crash, a video recorded by the elderly passenger went viral on social media. In the footage, he was seen calmly reciting the Shahada, though visible anxiety could be seen on his face during what he believed were his final moments.

Astonishingly, after the crash, the passenger emerged with only minor injuries and recorded another video from the wreckage site, exclaiming, “Allahu Akbar.” The video showed the destroyed aircraft as rescue teams worked to aid the victims.

The exact cause of the crash remains unclear. Russian authorities attributed the accident to a bird strike, but aviation experts have dismissed this claim, according to Reuters.

The Azerbaijan Airlines flight had deviated hundreds of miles from its planned route from Azerbaijan to Russia and crashed on the opposite shore of the Caspian Sea. Officials have yet to clarify the emergency that led the plane to cross the sea.

Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev stated that initial reports suggested the diversion was due to unstable weather conditions but promised a thorough investigation to uncover the true cause of the tragedy.

Videos circulating on social media showed the aircraft descending rapidly before crashing near the seashore, erupting into flames and smoke.

Despite the fiery crash, the main body of the plane remained largely intact, allowing some injured passengers to escape from the wreckage.