BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 27. The crew of the AZAL aircraft that crashed near Aktau demonstrated exceptional heroism by executing the best possible landing under the circumstances, said Rashad Nabiyev, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Digital Development and Transport, during a press briefing, Trend reports.
"Both local and international experts have concluded that the crew acted with great courage and skill, performing the most optimal landing. Thanks to their efforts, the majority of those on board were saved," the minister said.
On December 25, an Embraer 190 passenger aircraft operating the Baku-Grozny route crashed three kilometers from Aktau Airport.
The aircraft had 67 people on board, including 62 passengers and 5 crew members.
Following the crash, 27 individuals were hospitalized. Among them were 15 citizens of Azerbaijan, 8 citizens of Russia, and 3 citizens of Kyrgyzstan. The identity of one individual has not yet been determined.
Three crew members, including both pilots, lost their lives, while two crew members survived.
On December 26, 14 injured passengers and the remains of four victims were repatriated to Azerbaijan.