Egypt says no comment on causes of Russian plane crash until investigation is over

Egypt’s authorities will not comment on statements on the causes of Saturday’s crash of Russian plane in the Sinai Peninsula until the investigation is complete, cabinet spokesman Hossam el-Qawish has said. The international commission consisting of the representatives of Russia, Egypt and Ireland, where the jet was registered, and also Airbus specialists from France and Germany have already inspected the crash site, he said. "This joint team is now studying the evidence and proof - like the airliner’s debris and personal belongings of the passengers and also the fragments of bodies found at that area," the spokesman told the Al-Hayat TV channel. He also expressed hope that the analysis of the contents of the flight data recorders from the plane which were found in a good condition will seriously help to find out the causes of the tragedy. "Now Egypt’s position is that we wait for the completion of the work of the joint commission and the announcement of its official report without commenting on any statements on both the possible technical malfunction and others," he said. The search and rescue operation is over, he said. The Egyptian security forces and a Russian team that is continuing the search for the remains currently stay at the scene, he said. Russian Kogalymavia’s A321 plane, en route from Egypt’s resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg, crashed on October 31 some 30 minutes after its takeoff. The debris was found 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of the administrative centre of North Sinai Governorate, the city of Al-Arish. Flight 9268 carried 217 passengers and seven crewmembers. No one of them survived. Most passengers were Russian nationals. Among the people onboard were also four Ukrainian citizens and one Belarusian national.