ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spoke about the Azerbaijani airline plane’s crash near Aktau at the end of December in a big interview with the Ana Tili national newspaper on Jan. 3.
“The government commission has been created to investigate the causes of the plane crash. In addition, 17 international experts have been invited, including from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC). The government commission has sent the black boxes to Brazil for decoding. It is the only right decision to ensure impartial and objective incident investigation,” he said.
Tokayev directed a thorough investigation at a Dec. 28 meeting in Astana.
“The tragedy claimed the lives of 38 people, including six citizens of Kazakhstan, and many people were seriously injured. Every second matters in this situation. Our rescuers, doctors, and police officers acted promptly and in a coordinated manner and demonstrated professionalism and civic responsibility. Employees of the Mangistau Regional Electric Grid Company, who were near the site of the tragedy, immediately came to rescue people. Locals did not stand aside either. Due to the dedication of our people, this brought the maximum possible life rescues. I express my sincere gratitude to everyone who took part in the rescue work,” said Tokayev.
Kazakh people also expressed support for the victims by donating blood.
Tokayev awarded citizens for heroism and civil duty in rescuing passengers from the crashed plane.
In an interview with Az.TV on Dec. 29, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev praised the solidarity and compassion demonstrated by Kazakh citizens after the tragic plane crash.
