Russian Airliner Crashes In Egypt With 224 Passengers On Board

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A Russian-operated airliner with 224 passengers aboard crashed in Egypt earlier this morning.

The Metrojet airliner was reportedly flying from the Sinai Red Sea resort to St. Petersburg, Russia when it crashed in a mountainous area. Reuters reports a Swedish-based aviation tracking system “said the aircraft, having made an apparently smooth take off, lurched into a rapid descent shortly after approaching cruising altitude.”

An anonymous officer stated the aircraft split into two and emergency workers have already recovered 100 bodies, with the remaining still inside. Officials say the pilot reported technical difficulties and lost contact with air traffic controllers 23 minutes after reaching an altitude of 31,000 feet.

A member of the Aviation Incident Committee claimed the pilot attempted to land at the nearest airport. Investigators believe it is too soon to determine the cause of the crash. Of the 224 people aboard, 17 were children, aged 2-17.

Story developing…

SOURCE: Reuters, USA Today | VIDEO/PHOTO CREDIT: Inform, Getty

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