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Aeroflot Crash Survivor Says “God Will Judge” Those Who Took Bags With Them

The survivors of the Aeroflot plane crash at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport are speaking out, and one in particular is confirming ongoing reports: the number of casualties would have been smaller if passengers had left their luggage behind.
Aeroflot plane catches fire after crash landing at Moscow airport 1 photo
Photo: USAToday.com
Footage of the Sukhoi Superjet-100 burning on the tarmac in Moscow, right after a failed emergency landing, shows passengers rushing away from the wreck with their luggage in hand. Other videos making the rounds online show passengers throwing their bags on the inflatable slide before sliding on it themselves.

Their desire to get their carry-ons from the overhead compartment and to have it with them as they fled the burning plane translated into seconds lost for other passengers, who thus became trapped in the cabin and were eventually burned to death. 41 people have died in the blaze and many are still in critical condition in the hospital.

Mikhail Savchenko was also on the plane and he says on Facebook that, ultimately, “God will judge” those who prized their luggage over other people’s lives.

“I do not know what to say about people who ran out with bags. God is their judge,” Savchenko writes. However, he adds: “But I really want to ask [people] not to persecute them, I am sure that it is very hard for them now. I do not think that at least one person in this burning hell coolly and deliberately dragged suitcases. I do not know how the psyche works in such situations, [that is] a question for the experts.”

He, for one, didn’t drag his own luggage, he continues. “No, I didn’t fly business. No, the moment I was filming, there were no people around me that I could help. But believe me, it’s not much easier,” he says.

The Aeroflot plane had just taken off from the Moscow airport for a 2-hour flight to Murmansk. Reports claim it was struck by lightning when it entered a cloud and was hit with hale, and pilots attempted to make an emergency landing. However, they failed to dump the extra fuel, and this led to the unsuccessful landing and the fire.



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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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