WATCH: Limerick resident saw plane ‘totally engulfed in flames’

A LIMERICK man has described the “devastating” scenes following a plane crash in Russia that claimed the lives of 41 people. 

Darragh Melody, who is from Newmarket-on-Fergus but living in Raheen, was traveling back to Ireland from a holiday in Vietnam when he witnessed the tragedy at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport.

“I saw the plane on fire going down the runway. The lad I was traveling with just called out ‘fire’ and we looked out the terminal window and saw the plane totally engulfed in flames,” said Darragh.

“I think everyone was just shocked at first. We all ran over to the window to get a better look. We saw the plane skid on the runway in flames before it went out of sight and we could only see the smoke then filling the sky,” he added.

Darragh, along with the other passengers he was traveling with, was unaware of the serious nature of the crash until they were back in Dublin.

“There were initial reports of five people being injured. No one thought it was as serious as it was. But then we landed in Dublin to the news of 41 dead, my heart just sank, everyone was devastated getting off the plane,” said Darragh.

The Raheen resident has been left in a state of shock following the tragedy.

“I was shocked when I saw it. I initially thought it was a plane taking off and something went wrong but that everything would be fine. I was hoping that they would get everyone off the plane and no one would be seriously injured,” said Darragh.

“Our plane was on the runway in Moscow waiting to take off but there was obviously a long delay. I looked out my passenger window and saw several ambulances surrounding the plane so I started to think it could possibly be a lot worse than just the five injuries that was initially reported. They must have been pulling bodies from the wreckage that’s why it took so long to reopen that runway. The worst feeling was when I realized how I’d witnessed a tragedy. Those two poor children who were killed is devastating to think about. I suppose I’m thankful it wasn’t our plane,” he added. 

Two children are reported to be among the 41 reported dead. The jet had 73 passengers and five crew. A flight attendant was also reportedly killed in the incident.

According to reports from the BBC, The aircraft, a Sukhoi Superjet-100, left the airport at 18:02 local time (15:02 GMT), bound for Murmansk.

Its crew sent a distress signal when “malfunctions” occurred in bad weather shortly after take-off.

Reports suggest the airplane made a hard landing shortly after take-off and burst into flames. 

Footage posted on social media showed the aircraft crash-landing and then speeding along the runway with flames erupting from its fuselage.

Passengers could be seen leaping onto an emergency inflatable slide at the front of the plane and running from the blaze large black columns of smoke billowed into the sky.

It is being reported that the plane may have been struck by lightning in the air, which may have knocked out communications with ground control. Two black box flight recorders were recovered from the plane in reasonable condition, and are being examined. The results will not be known for a few weeks.