CAIRO, Oct. 31 (UPI) — A Russian passenger airplane carrying more than 200 people — up to 17 children — crashed in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula on Saturday, officials said.
Egypt’s Prime Minister Sherif Ismai said an operations room has been set up to monitor the rescue operations from the Airbus A-321 that took off from Sharm el-Sheikh. The plane reportedly has 217 passengers and seven crew members. It is operated by Russian airline Kogalymavia.
Tarek Khater, Health Ministry Undersecretary in North Sinai, said 15 ambulances are headed to central Sinai’s Al-Hasana City, where an “emergency status” was declared.
Egyptian air traffic control lost contact with the airliner shortly after it departed from Sharm el-Sheikh for St Petersburg, Russia’s second largest city.
Authorities said it failed to make contact with Cyprus air traffic control 23 minutes after take off and disappeared from radar.
Airspace over Sinai Peninsula when #7K9268 disappeared from Flightradar24 at 04:13 UTC pic.twitter.com/H7kJk9qL6r— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) October 31, 2015
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