BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 26. Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov and his Kazakh counterpart Olzhas Bektanov have held an exchange of opinions on providing urgent assistance to people affected and injured as a result of the recent AZAL (Azerbaijan Airlines) plane crash, with high coordination between the relevant authorities of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, Trend reports.
During the phone conversation, the prime ministers also expressed their condolences to each other in connection with the plane crash that occurred yesterday, as well as to the families and relatives of the victims, wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.
Asadov thanked the Kazakh side for its high operational efficiency in conducting the search and rescue operation immediately after the plane crash and for the close support on all issues related to the incident.
Bektanov noted that he visited the Azerbaijani Embassy in Astana today, expressed deep condolences regarding the loss of numerous lives in the crash, and signed a message in the memorial book opened at the embassy.
The officials further discussed the delivery of the surviving citizens of Azerbaijan and the bodies of the deceased, as well as other operational measures in response to the incident.
Additionally, the progress of the joint investigation into the criminal case related to determining the causes of the accident was discussed.
The tragedy occurred on December 25, when an Embraer 190 plane operated by AZAL, en route from Baku to Grozny, crashed just 3 kilometers from Aktau Airport.
The Embraer 190 was carrying 67 people, including 62 passengers and five crew members.
In the aftermath of the crash, 27 people were hospitalized. Among them, 15 are citizens of Azerbaijan, eight are from Russia, and three are from Kyrgyzstan. The identity of one individual remains unknown.
Of those hospitalized, 11 are being treated in intensive care, 13 in the trauma ward, two in the neurosurgery ward, and one in the surgical ward. They are under the care of experienced doctors from Kazakhstan, as well as specialists sent from Azerbaijan and Russia. All patients have received prompt and specialized medical and psychological support.
The crash claimed the lives of both pilots and a flight attendant. Two other crew members survived.
December 26 has been declared a day of mourning in Azerbaijan.
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