About 11,000 Russian tourists evacuated from Egypt last 24 hours - deputy PM

Over the past 24 hours, about 11,000 Russian tourists were evacuated from Egypt, Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich told reporters on Sunday. "Today, the number will be even higher," he said. "Today will be the hottest day in this aspect." "Clearly, on weekdays there are fewer flights, and the next weekend will be hot again," he said. "Yesterday, we managed it, at first delays there were delays as we were settling the issue of luggage. And later on practically all the flights were served without delays." Russian tourists are leaving Egypt without luggage, which later on will be delivered to the regions by regular flights, Dvorkovich said. On Friday, November 6, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin supported recommendations of the national anti-terror committee to suspend flights to Egypt. The presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov explained the flights will be suspended not to end of investigation into crash of Kagalymavia’s plane, but until necessary security is provided. Putin ordered organisation of support to Russian nationals’ return home from Egypt. From 10p.m. Moscow time on Friday, all regular, transit and chartered flights from Russia to Egypt, carrying passengers, were suspended. Deputy prime minister Arkady Dvorkovich, who is head of the government’s commission on suspended flights to Egypt, said about 80,000 Russian citizens were staying in Egypt, mostly in Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh. Russian Kogalymavia’s A321 plane, en-route from Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg, crashed in the early morning of October 31 just some 20 minutes after its takeoff. The disaster site is 100 kilometres (62 miles) south of the administrative centre of North Sinai Governorate, the city of Al-Arish. Flight 9268 carried 217 passengers and seven crewmembers and they were all officially announced dead following the tragic accident. Most passengers were Russian nationals. Among the passengers onboard were also four Ukrainian citizens and one Belarusian national.