An EgyptAir flight en route to Cairo from Paris disappeared from radar today, as French officials fear the plane crashed over the Mediterranean Sea.
The flight went missing about 174 miles off the Egyptian coast, shortly after entering Egyptian airspace, the airline said overnight.
French President Francois Hollande, speaking at the Elysee Palace in Paris, told a news conference that authorities there fear the flight with 66 people aboard had crashed, but said it was too soon to speculate on the cause.
"When we have the truth we need to draw all the conclusions," Hollande said. "At this stage, we must give priority to solidarity toward the families" of the victims.
Sharif Fathi, Egypt's civil aviation minister, agreed with Hollande's assessment in a news conference today.
"It's too early to talk about terrorism," he said.
According to the airline, 56 passengers, three EgyptAir security personnel and seven crew members were aboard the aircraft, an Airbus A320 manufactured in 2003.
EgyptAir flight 804's 56 passengers included one child and two infants, the airline said.
There were no Americans onboard, according to the airline.
The nationalities of those onboard is as follows: French, 15: Egyptian, 30; British, 1; Belgium, 1; Iraqi, 2; Kuwaiti, 1; Saudi, 1; Sudanese, 1; Chadian, 1; Portuguese, 1; Algerian, 1; and Canadian, 1.
Grieving relatives of passengers gathered at the Cairo International Airport in Egypt this morning, awaiting word on their missing loved ones.
Source: http://abcnews.go.com
The flight went missing about 174 miles off the Egyptian coast, shortly after entering Egyptian airspace, the airline said overnight.
French President Francois Hollande, speaking at the Elysee Palace in Paris, told a news conference that authorities there fear the flight with 66 people aboard had crashed, but said it was too soon to speculate on the cause.
"When we have the truth we need to draw all the conclusions," Hollande said. "At this stage, we must give priority to solidarity toward the families" of the victims.
Sharif Fathi, Egypt's civil aviation minister, agreed with Hollande's assessment in a news conference today.
"It's too early to talk about terrorism," he said.
According to the airline, 56 passengers, three EgyptAir security personnel and seven crew members were aboard the aircraft, an Airbus A320 manufactured in 2003.
EgyptAir flight 804's 56 passengers included one child and two infants, the airline said.
There were no Americans onboard, according to the airline.
The nationalities of those onboard is as follows: French, 15: Egyptian, 30; British, 1; Belgium, 1; Iraqi, 2; Kuwaiti, 1; Saudi, 1; Sudanese, 1; Chadian, 1; Portuguese, 1; Algerian, 1; and Canadian, 1.
Grieving relatives of passengers gathered at the Cairo International Airport in Egypt this morning, awaiting word on their missing loved ones.
Source: http://abcnews.go.com
