National Security Council probes plane disappearance developments

The National Security Council, under President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, discussed the developments of the disappearance of an Egyptian plane that was on its way from Paris to Cairo on Tuesday.

Civil Aviation Minister Sherif Fathy presented a report on all the information available so far about the incident.

The council decided to continue search efforts for the plane and work on revealing its disappearance circumstances as soon as possible in cooperation with friendly countries such as France and Greece.

The Egyptian government will provide all forms of assistance to the families of the plane's passengers and crew, the council said.

It also directed EgyptAir crisis center to follow up on the development of the situation and announce the latest information.

The meeting was attended by the speaker of the House of Representatives, the prime minister and the ministers of defense; foreign affairs; interior; electricity and renewable energy; health and population; education; justice; finance; and civil aviation. Also attending were the director of the General Intelligence Directorate; the chairman of the National Defense and Security Committee of the House of Representatives; the president's national security adviser; and the secretary general of the National Security Council.

An official source at EgyptAir said that the nationalities of the passengers are as follow: 30 Egyptians, 15 French, two Iraqis and one Briton, Belgian, Kuwaiti, Saudi, Sudanese, Chadian, Portuguese, Algerian and Canadian.

The plane was en route from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport to Cairo International Airport when it vanished from radar 10 miles after entering the Egyptian air field.

Some 56 passengers along with 10 crew members were on board the Airbus A320.

Radar lost contact with the flight at 2:45 Cairo local time while it was at an altitude of 37,000 feet.

Source : MENA