Azerbaijan declares mourning after civilian plane crash

Follow-up - INA

Azerbaijan declared a one-day national mourning on Wednesday, following the crash of an Embraer 190 civilian aircraft that was flying between Baku and Grozny on December 25.

"President Ilham Aliyev issued an order in this regard, stressing the need to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the incident," the Azerbaijan News Agency reported.

“The crash of the AZAL plane, which changed its direction due to bad weather conditions and began flying towards Aktau airport, where the accident occurred during landing, must be fully investigated,” President Aliyev said at a meeting devoted to discussing the incident. 

He added, "There are recordings of the moment of the crash in the media and social networks, which makes it available to everyone. But the real causes of the accident are still unknown. There are several hypotheses, but it is too early to judge. A full investigation into this case is necessary."

The ill-fated plane was on a regular flight, before it ended in a disaster that raises many questions about its causes and the surrounding circumstances, awaiting the results of the investigations.