BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 26. The DNA analysis will be required to identify the remains of people who died in the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane near Aktau, the Azerbaijani consul general in Aktau, Aikhan Suleymanli told reporters, TurkicWorld reports.
"The identification process will take some time. As soon as the identities of the dead are confirmed, their remains will be sent to the relevant countries. The expert group of the Ministry of Health and the General Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan, which arrived in Aktau to identify the dead, is conducting an investigation. DNA analysis will be required to identify the bodies. So far only 3 out of 26 dead citizens of Azerbaijan have been identified," he said.
Suleymanli noted that since the incident the relevant official structures of Kazakhstan have acted promptly and professionally. Immediate and safe transportation of the victims to the hospital was carried out.
"Residents of Kazakhstan come to donate blood for the victims. Also, residents carry bouquets to the consulate of Azerbaijan," he said.
He added that since the incident the consuls general of Türkiye, Iran, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan in Aktau have been demonstrating support to Azerbaijan.
To note, the passenger plane Embraer 190 belonging to AZAL, which was on the Baku-Grozny route, crashed 3 kilometers from Aktau airport on December 25.
A total of 67 people (62 passengers and 5 crew members) were on board the plane.
Following the crash of the passenger plane, 27 people were admitted to hospital. Of them, 15 people are citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan, 8 - of the Russian Federation, and 3 - of the Kyrgyz Republic. The identity of one of them has not yet been established.
Of the victims hospitalized, 11 are being treated in the intensive care unit, 13 in the traumatology department, 2 in the neurosurgery department, and 1 in the surgical department. Their treatment is under the supervision of professional doctors from Kazakhstan and physicians sent from Azerbaijan and Russia. They were provided with prompt and specialized medical and psychological assistance.
Both pilots of the crew as well as the flight attendant were killed, two crew members survived.
Azerbaijan has declared December 26 a day of mourning.
