224 die as Russian plane crashes in Egypt

A Russian plane with 217 passengers and seven crew members has crashed in Sinai, Egypt.

A security officer, who visited the scene of the accident, told Reuters that the plane was completely destroyed and all aboard were probably dead.

The Egyptian aviation ministry said the Airbus A-321, operated by Russian airline Kogalymavia with registration number KGL-9268, was flying from the Sinai Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to St Petersburg in Russia when it went down in a desolate mountainous area.

“It took off at 5:51 a.m. Cairo time (0351 GMT) and disappeared from radar screens 23 minutes later,” the ministry said in a statement.

“After delays caused by poor weather conditions, search and rescue teams located the site of the crash in the Hassana area 35 km (22 miles) south of the Sinai Mediterranean coastal city of Al Arish.”

Egyptian security sources said there was no indication that the Airbus jet had been shot down or blown up.

Sinai-based militants who support Islamic State have killed hundreds of Egyptian soldiers and police and have also attacked Western targets in recent months.