Thaindian News

By Madhuri Dey

Dec. 26, (THAINDIAN NEWS) The Airbus 330 of the Northwest Airlines came under a terrorist attack on Dec. 25. Thankfully, the attempt was pretty harebrained, and was foiled by the passengers in the flight. There were some 278 odd passengers on board the flight, who, after the flight landed to safety, recounted the terrifying incident, feeling lucky to have landed alive. Their reminiscences are less than clear, owing to the commotion that ensued once the attack was in process. However, thanks to them, the terrorist himself was captured.

The first one to feel the impact of the attack was Syed Jafri, who was returning home from the United Arab Emirates in the trans-Atlantic flight. He recalls being aware of a flame going up, and the next thing he heard was the sound of an explosion, enough to shake the plane. However, here his recollection grows hazy, as the man who was sitting behind him, whom he remembers as a 20-something youth, jumped on him.

His experience is shared by most of the other passengers in the plane. Elias Fawaz commented that he heard a sound like a balloon popping, and the next moment, there was smoke issuing, referring to the detonating device that Abdul Mudallad had ignited. The same sound has been described by Peter Smith to be similar to a firecracker being set off in a pillowcase. However, the prize for bravery goes to a young man who subdued in a headlock. The suspect himself was burned in numerous parts of his body, and the fire was extinguished by the passengers, who claimed that the man seemed stunned y the commotion.