In a heartbreaking incident this Christmas morning, a passenger plane carrying 72 people was involved in a catastrophic crash. The incident left witnesses in shock and disbelief, as the tragic event unfolded before their eyes.

Videos shared online captured the terrifying moment the aircraft went down, engulfed in flames, and showed its final, terrifying moments before hitting the ground.

The ill-fated Azerbaijan Airlines flight had 67 passengers and five crew members on board as it traveled from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Grozny in Russia.

As the plane struck the ground, it burst into a fierce fireball. Horrifying images showed the aircraft quickly being consumed by flames, with thick black smoke billowing into the sky. Some of the passengers, bruised and bloodied, managed to escape from the remnants of the fuselage.

The aircraft was reported to have caught fire in the air, and witnesses saw it disintegrate into several pieces while landing near Aktau, in the western part of the country.

Authorities, including the nation’s emergency situations ministry, deployed personnel to the crash site to manage the blaze and provide aid.

In a glimmer of hope amid the tragedy, 14 survivors were immediately taken to a nearby hospital. Among them, five required intensive care due to severe injuries.

The ministry later reported that 28 individuals managed to survive the crash, although seven remain in critical condition. Out of the 22 survivors who received hospital treatment, two are children.