Egypt's aviation minister says 'terrorism' more likely than technical failure in EgyptAir crash

EgyptAir flight failure likely due to &quot;technical error&quot;.

(Image credit: David Degner/Getty Images)

published 19 May 2016

Egypt's aviation minister said Thursday that the EgyptAir crash has a "stronger" possibility of being an act of terrorism than a technical failure, The Associated Press reports. Russia's domestic security chief also said Thursday that the country believes the plane was downed in an act of terrorism.

Egypt reported that EgyptAir Flight 804, en route from Paris to Cairo, crashed in the Mediterranean Sea early Thursday morning, shortly after entering Egyptian air space. The airplane, an Airbus A320, was carrying 66 passengers and crew, including three security personnel. Thirty of the passengers were from Egypt, 15 were from France, and the rest hailed from Europe, the Middle East, and Canada. Greek officials believe they have found debris from the plane.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

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