A commission investigates the causes of the disaster of the flight 9268 of the Russian private airline Kogalymavia that crashed on October 31st while covering the route from the resort of Sharm El Sheikh to St. Petersburg. The 217 passengers and seven members of the crew died.
According to the Rossiya 24 channel, an additional group of Russian experts, led by Alexander Bastrikin, head of the National Investigation Committee, will examine the fragments of the plane, and analyze on-site the circumstances of what is considered the greatest tragedy in the history of the Russian civil aviation.
Russian authorities of the sector have urged repeatedly not to rush to hasty conclusions regarding the origin of the catastrophe, however, the version of a suspected terrorist attack emerges strongly in Moscow for the first time.
So much that Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev confirmed to the official newspaper 'Rossiskaya Gazeta' that the possibility of a terrorist action 'remains as cause' of what happened.
He said that in general he follows up on the investigation into the plane crash with all versions on the table, added Medvedev.
The chief executive of Airbus Fabrice Brégier, the makers of the plane, stated in turn that for the time being the investigation does not point to the fact that a technical failure in the A321 may have been the origin of the catastrophe, as per the France Press agency.
In Russia, the authorities organize the scheduled transfer of the tourists who bought tours to Egypt, with the assistance of the Ministries of Transport, Emergency Situations and the Union of Tour Operators.
According to the prime minister, the repatriation of travelers is expected to be completed in the next two weeks, but could be extended if necessary. Medvedev said that it is a voluntary, scheduled transfer.
President Vladimir Putin announced on last Friday the suspension of all flights to Egypt on the recommendation of the National Counterterrorism Committee until the clarification of the causes of the disaster.
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PL-16/MNA