The handout photo, taken on Oct. 31, 2015, from Egyptian Prime Minister Office shows debris found at the crash site of a Russian passenger plane in Hassana, a mountainous area 35 km south of Arish City, Egypt. The black box of the Russian plane that crashed in Egypt's Sinai earlier on Saturday has been found and 129 bodies have been picked up, Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail said at a press conference. (Xinhua/Egypt's PM Office)
CAIRO, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's Civil Aviation Ministry said that military planes have spotted the wreckage of a Russian plane that crashed earlier on Saturday in central Sinai with 224 passengers and crew on board.
The ministry said in a statement the wreckage was found in Hassana, a mountainous area 35 km south of the North Sinai city of Al Arish.
Nearly 45 ambulance were sent to the scene to transfer the casualties, in coordination with the armed forces, the ministry added.
Most of the passengers are Russian nationals, a source with the ministry said.
The passenger plane was destroyed and most of those on board are likely to have died, an Egyptian police officer at the scene told Xinhua.
Security forces in coordination with residents in the region are searching for the black box, the officer said.
The cause of the crash is still unknow.
The plane, carrying 217 passengers along with seven crew members, vanished from radar after taking off from Sharm el-Sheikh on its way to the Russian city of St Petersburg, Egypt's state-run MENA reported.
The Airbus A321, operated by Russian airline Kogalymavia, took off at 5:51 a.m. (0351 GMT) and disappeared from radar after 23 minutes of taking off, the report said.
Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail has ordered the formation of emergency operations room to investigate the crash.
The Russian Emergency Ministry also formed a teamwork to follow up the investigation.
Related:
Putin gives order to take urgent measures on Russian plane crash in Egypt
MOSCOW, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday ordered Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to create a state commission in response to the crash of a Russian airliner in Egypt, according to the Kremlin.
Putin also ordered the Emergency Situations Ministry to send an aircraft to the crash site after coordinating with the Egyptian side.
Meanwhile, Medvedev asked Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov to fly to Cairo, Egypt's capital, to organize all necessary work with regard to the plane crash.Full Story
Israeli military helps locate wreckage of Russian plane
JERUSALEM, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli military said on Saturday it has helped Egypt and Russia locate the remains of a Russian airplane that crashed over the Sinai Peninsula Saturday and will continue to assist both countries if needed.Full Story
Wreckage of crashed Russian plane located in Egypt's Sinai
CAIRO, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's Civil Aviation Ministry said that military planes have spotted the wreckage of a Russian plane that crashed earlier on Saturday in central Sinai with 224 passengers and crew on board.Full Story
