Russian airliner crashes in central Sinai - Egyptian PM

[Syt]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34687139?ocid=socialflow_facebook&ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbcnews&ns_source=facebook

Russian airliner crashes in central Sinai - Egyptian PM

A Russian airliner has crashed in central Sinai with more than 200 people on board, the office of Egypt's prime minister has confirmed.

The Airbus A-321 had just taken off from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, on its way to the Russian city of St Petersburg.

There were conflicting reports about the fate of the plane, some suggesting it had disappeared over Cyprus.

Most of the passengers are said to be Russian tourists.

The plane was operated by the small Russian airline Kogalymavia, based in western Siberia. Latest reports say it was carrying 217 passengers and seven crew.

A "Russian civilian plane... crashed in the central Sinai", the office of Egyptian Prime Minister Sharif Ismail said in a statement.

It added that Mr Ismail had formed a crisis committee to deal with the crash.

The Russian aviation authority Rosaviatsiya said in a statement that flight 7K 9268 left Sharm el-Sheikh at 06:51 Moscow time (03:51 GMT) and had been due into St Petersburg's Pulkovo airport at 12:10.

The authority added that the aircraft failed to make scheduled contact with Cyprus air traffic control 23 minutes after take-off and disappeared from the radar.

A centre to help relatives of the passengers has been set up at Pulkovo airport, Tass news agency quoted St Peterburg city officials as saying.

[The Brain]

[Liep]

According to AFP an Islamic State affiliate in Egypt claims to have shot the plane down.

[mongers]

According to AFP an Islamic State affiliate in Egypt claims to have shot the plane down.

I saw that, though its not from a 'confirmed IS account, but not sure what the characteristics of an official one is.

I guess it wouldn't be too hard to get a bomb on-board an airliner at the Sinai tourist airport, especially as the province is the seat of an insurgency, so likely to have sympathisers within security or civil/public services?

[Liep]

Not confirmed, and they claimed to have shot it down from the ground. First technical reports from Egypt said it was a mechanical mishap, so it's very unbelievable. But from a Russian perspective it would be beneficial to blame ISIS for this, for one you get a shady Russian aviation company off the hook and you get further justification for warring in Syria during a financial crisis. But that's in -territory.

[DGuller]

Not confirmed, and they claimed to have shot it down from the ground. First technical reports from Egypt said it was a mechanical mishap, so it's very unbelievable. But from a Russian perspective it would be beneficial to blame ISIS for this, for one you get a shady Russian aviation company off the hook and you get further justification for warring in Syria during a financial crisis. But that's in -territory.

Could go either way.  You don't want to be seen as allowing an ISIS retaliation attack to happen.  You blow up apartment buildings before the war, not during it.

[Darth Wagtaros]

The same kind of Russian tourists that flew into Kabul once upon a time?!?!?!

[mongers]

The same kind of Russian tourists that flew into Kabul once upon a time?!?!?!

Lots of dead children apparently, you know the same as those that get washed up on a Greek beach, die in a caste originated fire-bombing in India or die because their American parent left a gun lying around for someone else to play with.

[Josquius]

Is it just me or are there a larger than normal amount of plane crashes these days?

[Razgovory]

Clearly the work of Erdogan.  We should probably round up some people, shoot half, then charge the rest for the murders of the those we killed.  It's the only way to maintain civil society.

[The Brain]

Is it just me or are there a larger than normal amount of plane crashes these days?

I think it's you.

[MadImmortalMan]

This going to rally the Russian public in favor of the anti-ISIS war? Maybe cause some escalation in Syria, or Putin broadening out into Iraq.

[Jaron]

I think the number of planes crashes has stayed very low.

[Martinus]

Yeah, I mean what was the last high profile plane crash? The Swiss Alps suicide thing, right? That was more than 6 months ago. With thousands of commercial flights completed each day it is a wonder the crashes per annum are not at least double digit.

[Valmy]

Clearly the work of Erdogan.  We should probably round up some people, shoot half, then charge the rest for the murders of the those we killed.  It's the only way to maintain civil society.

Ok...you do that Raz.