The wreckage of EgyptAir flight MS804 was located overnight after its disappearance over the Mediterranean Sea during a flight from Paris to Cairo, according to Egyptian authorities. The Egyptian Civil Aviation Minister, Sherif Fathi, says it is too early to draw conclusions, but concedes that terrorism is a possible factor.
A statement from EgyptAir confirmed the location of the wreckage. “The Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation has just received an official letter from the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs that confirms the finding of wreckage of the missing aircraft No. MS 804 near Karpathos Island.”
Egyptian officials not ruling anything out including possibility of terrorism #EgyptAir https://t.co/hECQavik1P https://t.co/XEMgzmUBza
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 19, 2016
The plane has two crew members and 56 passengers onboard. Most of them were Egyptian, with several from France, Iraq, Britain, Canada, Belgium, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Chad, Portugal and Algeria.
Specific information was given by Greek aviation authorities, who claim that MS804 swerved and spun before plunging from 37,000 feet to 15,000 feet and vanishing from radar. This implies that the pilot lost control of the plane – but the reason behind that is unclear.
The Greek authorities are skeptical about the announcement from EgyptAir and Egyptian civil aviation authorities. “Up to now the analysis of the debris indicates that it does not come from a plane,” said Athanasios Binis, the head of Greece’s air safety authority, to AFP.
“My Egyptian counterpart also confirmed to me that it was not yet proven that the debris came from the EgyptAir flight when we were last in contact.”
Commentators are rushing to call it an act of terrorism, though – with both U.S. presidential frontrunners Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump making media appearances alleging the likelihood of terror. A Russian commentator indicated that if terrorism is the cause, it could devastate the Egyptian hospitality industry.
If #EgyptAirMS804 was really downed by a bomb it’s the worst news for Egypt’s hospitality industry. Russia will not resume flights for years
— Yury Barmin (@yurybarmin) May 19, 2016
Read the full statement from EgyptAir below:
More information to come as it becomes available.
Source: CBS.
Photo: Getty Images / David Degner.
