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Sisi: Investigations into Russian plane crash could take months

November 2, 2015 at 12:39 pm

Investigations into the causes of the Russian plane crash in Sinai could take months, Egyptian President Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi said yesterday.

Speaking during an educational symposium organised by the Egyptian armed forces in east Cairo, Al-Sisi said: “In such cases, the issue should be left to specialists, and there should be no speculation about reasons behind the crash since the issue is being extensively investigated and these are complicated technical procedures and could take months before results have been announced.”

Al-Sisi said he welcomed any Russia cooperation with regards this matter, adding that although it is Egypt’s duty to conduct the investigations, there is no problem in getting support from other parties, in order to reveal the truth.

Egypt’s Prosecutor General Nabil Sadek formed a technical committee of specialists from the Ministry of Civil Aviation to investigate the crash in El-Hassana, north Sinai, where the Russian plane crashed; allowing Russian representatives to accompany the committee during investigations, according to a statement released today.

The Russian Airbus 321 which crashed on Saturday near to El-Arish, north-east of Egypt, was carrying 217 passengers in addition to seven crew members. The Egyptian authorities started immediate investigations with Russian support. The black box was found at the scene of the crash.

Emirates announced on Sunday that it had suspended flights over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula until more information is available about the crash. Air France and Lufthansa also announced that they would stop flying over the area as a precaution while the cause of the Russian crash was investigated.