Egypt extends condolences to Russia after firefighting plane crashed in Turkey

CAIRO – 14 August 2021: Egypt extended condolences to Russia after a Russian plane deployed to Turkey to fight wildfires crashed on Saturday, killing all its crew.

“[Egypt] expresses its sincere condolences and sympathy to the friendly Russian Federation, due to the crash of the Russian plane Be-200 in Turkey today during the humanitarian mission it was carrying out,” a statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said.

“Egypt also expresses its solidarity [with Russia] in this painful affliction and extends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims,” the ministry added.

Russian state news agency TASS cited Russian Defense Ministry as saying that five Russian crew members and the three Turkish nationals were the victims of the Russian Be-200 amphibious aircraft crash.

The Russian plane crashed shortly before landing near Adana, in southern Turkey.

The afflicted Russian plane was sent on 8 July to fight the wildfires that has ravaged Turkey in recent weeks.

Turkey has been ravaged by around 300 wildfires in the last two weeks, which caused eight people to die in addition to the plane victims.