Uzbekistan shares grief with Azerbaijan over deadly airliner accident

On December 26, Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyer Saidov called Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov via phone over the deadly Azerbaijani plane crash in Aktau. 

On behalf of the state and people of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyer Saidov expressed condolences in connection with the crash of the Azerbaijani Airlines passenger plane flying from Baku to Grozny near Kazakhstan's Aktau city, the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan told Caliber.Az.

He said Uzbekistan stands in solidarity with brotherly Azerbaijan in these difficult days and shares the grief of the Azerbaijani people.

Bayramov told his colleague that immediately after the crash, in accordance with the instruction of President Ilham Aliyev, a state commission was set up to investigate the causes of the accident. A delegation consisting of senior officials from a number of ministries was sent to the crash site, measures were taken to eliminate the consequences of the crash and provide assistance to the victims.

The tragic incident took place on December 25, when an Embraer 190 aircraft, operating flight J2-8243 from Baku to Grozny, crashed in Aktau while attempting an emergency landing.

At the time of the crash, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was en route to an informal summit of CIS heads of state in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Upon learning of the crash while still in Russian airspace, President Aliyev ordered his return to Baku to oversee the response efforts.

The flight was carrying 67 people in total: 62 passengers and 5 crew members. Among the passengers were 37 Azerbaijanis, 16 Russians, 6 Kazakhs, and 3 Kyrgyzstani nationals.

Sadly, 38 people lost their lives in the crash, while 29 survived.

The international community has expressed condolences to Azerbaijan, with leaders and organizations worldwide offering messages of sympathy and solidarity to the victims' families.

On December 26, Azerbaijan declared a day of mourning to honour the victims.

By Khagan Isayev