Sinai plane crash: Russian passenger jet ‘broke up mid-air’ according to

The remains were to be taken in a motorcade to a crematorium in Saint Petersburg for identification, which will begin later on Monday, according to Russia’s emergency ministry, which organised the flight. The next plane carrying the bodies of the remaining passengers are scheduled to depart Cairo for the airport later in the evening.

Most of those who died were from St Petersburg and the surrounding region who were due home on Saturday from the popular Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

An Egyptian aviation official said the pilot of the Airbus A321 had reported technical difficulties before losing contact with air traffic controllers.

An Islamic State group affiliate based in the Sinai released a statement in multiple languages claiming responsibility, though they aren’t known to have any weapons capable of shooting down an airplane flying at high altitudes.

“Experts have affirmed that technically planes at this altitude can not be shot down, and the black box will be the one that will reveal the reasons for the crash”, Ismail said.

Egypt’s minister of civil aviation Mohamed Hossam Kemal, meanwhile, said in a news conference that the pilot of the ill-fated plane did not send any distress signal before the aircraft crashed. All versions of the tragedy will be investigated thoroughly, officials said.

The passenger manifest included 17 children but Russian officials said there were 25 aboard.

Russian transport minister Maksim Sokolov said although no evidence had been seen that the plane was targeted a terror attack has not been ruled out.

Sunday was declared a nationwide day of mourning in Russian Federation, with flags on government flown at half-mast.

In response to the incident, airline companies Emirates, Lufthansa and Air France suspended flights over the Sinai Peninsula until investigators learned the cause of the crash.

Russian and French investigators have joined the Egyptian-led probe, along with experts from Airbus, which is headquartered in France.

Questions have also raised over the condition of the plane, with the wife of co-pilot Sergei Trukachev telling Russian state-controlled NTV that “he complained before that the technical condition of the aircraft left much to be desired”.

A Downing Street spokesman said Prime Minister David Cameron had called the Russian president and said Britain shared the pain and grief of the Russian people and Britain “stood ready to help”.

“These matters are very complicated and require advanced and extensive investigations that can take months”.

Russian Federation has a dismal air safety record, and while larger carriers have started to upgrade their ageing fleets the crash will likely raise concerns about smaller airlines like Kogalymavia.