The plane reportedly had broken into two parts indicating that the pilot might have attempted to make a controlled emergency landing. The Metrojet crashed in an area where Egyptian forces have been battling an Islamic insurgency.
Advertisement
He is ordering Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to open an investigation.
The 18-year old Airbus went through a detailed check past year, according to the TH&C Holding company which owns the Kogalymavia airlines which operated the flight. “There have been reports the fighters acquired shoulder-fired, anti-aircraft missiles but those would only be effective against low-flying aircraft”.
The first rescue workers at the scene described the plane as “completely destroyed” and an Egyptian security officer told Reuters that many passengers had died strapped in to their seats. Aviation experts have reached the crash site near the city of el-Arish.
However, other reports from news agencies including Russian Federation Today said that the plane had crashed.
An Egypt airport official told the wire service that the 217 passengers and seven crew members were all Russian citizens. It crashed about 23 minutes after takeoff into the middle of the Sinai Peninsula.
Sinai-based militants who support Islamic State have killed hundreds of Egyptian soldiers and police and have also attacked Western targets in recent months. The plane lost contact with the control room after its take off from a Red sea resort which is popular among Russian tourist.
In Egypt, military planes have spotted the wreckage of the plane in the Sinai Peninsula and 45 ambulances have been sent to evacuate the dead and injured.
“We are in close contact with our Egyptian colleagues and aviation authorities in the country”.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry reported on its official Facebook page that staff at the Russian embassy in Egypt were monitoring the situation. The airline also said it was arranging flights to Egypt for relatives of the victims. Officials from the Transport Ministry and the Civilian Air Transport Authority did not answer calls.
Advertisement
An Egyptian security official ruled out the possibility that the crash had been the result of a terrorist act.
