French investigations into EgyptAir flight crash conflict Egypt’s findings

CAIRO – 6 May 2017: Egypt’s Aviation Ministry announced on Saturday that investigations were still continuing into the crash. However, a recent report published on Friday by a French newspaper contradicts the initial conclusion reached by Egyptian authorities.

A source at Egypt’s Aviation Ministry reported on Saturday, “The investigations into the crash of EgyptAir flight MS804, which occurred last May, are still underway and haven't confirmed any findings yet or officially stated any possible scenarios relating to the cause of the accident.”

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added that “the accident’s investigations committee, which involved American and French contingents concluded that there were traces of explosives found in the remains of the victims of the flight.”

These statements came in response to what the French newspaper

Le Figaro

had reported Friday, stating that French investigators claimed that no traces of explosives were found in the remains of the victims, in conflict with what the Egyptian side had initially concluded last December.

In May 2016, EgyptAir flight MS804 crashed into the Mediterranean Sea while en-route from Paris to Cairo, with 56 passengers and a crew of 10 onboard. All were killed in the crash, including 15 French and 40 Egyptian citizens.

Additional reporting by Mohamed Tantawy