Ministry: No Azerbaijani citizens among victims of An-24 plane crash

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan has confirmed that there were no Azerbaijani nationals among the victims of the recent Antonov An-24 aircraft crash in Russia’s Amur region.

According to an official statement by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada, none of the individuals who lost their lives in the tragic accident were citizens of Azerbaijan, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

A total of 48 people have been confirmed dead after an Antonov An-24 aircraft operated by Angara Airlines crashed in a remote forested area near Tynda, in Russia’s far-eastern Amur region.

The plane, which was carrying 42 passengers and six crew, disappeared from radar while attempting a second landing approach amid low cloud conditions.

It had departed from Blagoveshchensk and was on the final leg of a route from Khabarovsk.

Emergency teams located the burning wreckage 16km from the airport, though the swampy terrain delayed rescue efforts by an hour. Five children were reportedly on board. Amur Governor Vasily Orlov declared three days of mourning.

Authorities are investigating possible pilot error or technical failure. The nearly 50-year-old Soviet-designed aircraft had passed a recent inspection but had been involved in four prior incidents since 2018.

Angara Airlines is based in Irkutsk, where the crew originated. Some passengers were Russian Railways employees.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry extends its deepest condolences to the families of those affected and reiterates its commitment to closely monitor developments related to the incident.

By Aghakazim Guliyev