Azernews.Az

Akbar Novruz

Read more

The credit obligations of citizens who lost their lives in the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) Embraer 190 passenger plane crash during the Baku-Grozny flight have been fully written off.

This measure was taken at the expense of the relevant organizations' own funds.

Azernews reports that the announcement was made in a joint statement by the Azerbaijan Banks Association (ABA) and the Azerbaijan Microfinance Association (AMFA).

"The tragic loss of crew members and passengers in the accident has deeply shocked and saddened the banking community, along with our entire nation. Following the recommendation of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan and at the initiative of ABA and AMFA, the credit debts of the victims have been written off," the statement read.

On behalf of the credit institutions, ABA and AMFA expressed their condolences to the families of the victims and wished a swift recovery to the injured. The associations emphasized their commitment to standing by the Azerbaijani people and leadership during such challenging times.

On December 25, an Embraer 190 passenger plane belonging to Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), en route from Baku to Grozny, crashed about 3 kilometres from Aktau airport. There were 67 people on board (62 passengers and 5 crew members). Two crew members survived the crash.

The crash led to widespread shock, and in response, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree declaring December 26 a day of mourning in the country. He also issued state awards to honor the heroism of the crew. The deceased crew members—Igor Ivanovich Kshnyakin, Alexander Georgievich Kalyaninov, and Hokuma Jalil gizi Aliyeva—were posthumously awarded the title of National Hero of Azerbaijan, while the injured crew members—Zulfiqar Sardar oglu Asadov and Aydan Vagif gizi Rahimli—received the Order of "Rashadat" of the 1st degree.

On December 26, the bodies of four victims and 14 injured passengers were repatriated to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani authorities established a State Commission, led by Prime Minister Ali Asadov, to investigate the causes of the crash.