I mean, of course it is better that the seats were not occupied, but there is no reason to treat it as if those people for sure would have died if they were on the plane.
It sounds like if they were on board and wearing seat belts they would have been fine. Possibly very shaken, but fine.
After the segment of fuselage fell to the earth, after the giant hole opened, after the kid's shirt was ripped away, passengers were standing up at their seats and in the aisle, and flight attendants had to plead with them to sit down and buckle up.
