Azerbaijan declares national mourning after aircraft crashed near Aktau

Azerbaijan has declared national mourning on Dec. 26 in response to the aircraft crash in Aktau, according to the Azerbaijani news agency Report.az. The latest available data indicates that 29 individuals survived out of the 69 on board

Tomorrow, on Dec. 26, in solidarity with the mourning, state flags will be flown at half-mast in Azerbaijan.  

“Dec. 26 has been declared a national day of mourning following the numerous casualties in the air accident,” the agency reported.

The news agency highlighted that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has already signed the resolution, although it has not yet been posted on the president’s website.

On the morning of Dec. 25, an aircraft traveling from Baku to Grozny crashed near Aktau, with 69 people on board, according to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations. The majority of those on board were Azerbaijani citizens, with several Kazakhstani nationals. The latest reports indicate 29 survivors, including two children. No Kazakhstani citizens are on the survivor list.