Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov discussed the progress of the joint investigation into the criminal case concerning the causes of the AZAL plane crash during a telephone conversation with his Kazakh counterpart Oljas Bektenov on December 26, Azerbaijan’s Cabinet of Ministers told Report.
Both heads of government expressed their condolences to each other and to the families and relatives of the deceased regarding the recent plane crash, and they wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
Asadov thanked the Kazakh side for their high efficiency in conducting the search and rescue operation immediately after the accident and for their close support in all matters related to the incident.
Bektenov, in turn, mentioned that he had visited the Azerbaijani embassy in Astana today, expressed his deep condolences over the numerous deaths resulting from the accident, and left a note in the memorial book opened at the embassy.
During the telephone conversation, they exchanged views on providing urgent assistance to those injured in the accident by the relevant agencies of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan in a highly coordinated manner. They also discussed the return of surviving Azerbaijani citizens to Azerbaijan, as well as the repatriation of the bodies of the deceased, and other rapid response measures related to the incident.
On December 25, an AZAL passenger aircraft on a Baku-Grozny flight crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan. Among the 67 people on board, 42 were Azerbaijani citizens, 16 were Russian, 6 were Kazakh, and 3 were Kyrgyz. Tragically, 38 individuals lost their lives, while 29 survived.
In response to the numerous casualties, President Ilham Aliyev declared a day of mourning in the country. Additionally, a State Commission, led by Prime Minister Ali Asadov, was established by order of the head of state to investigate the causes of the plane crash.