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Terror attack a ‘strong possibility’ after EgyptAir jet goes down
Monday, 19 May, 2016
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The cause of the disappearance of an EgyptAir flight over the Mediterranean Sea is looking more likely an act of terrorism rather than a technical fault, officials believe.
Flight MS804, an Airbus A320 carrying 66 passengers and crew was flying over the eastern Mediterranean at 37,000ft when it lost contact with radar.
EgyptAir said passengers on board included 30 Egyptians, 15 French citizens, one Briton, as well as others from Belgium, Algeria, Sudan, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Chad and Portugal.
No distress call was made according to earlier reports.
"A technical problem, a fire or a failed motor do not cause an instant accident and the team has time to react. The team said nothing, they did not react, so it was very probably a brutal event and we can certainly think about an attack," said Jean-Paul Troadec, the former head of the French aviation investigation agency.
Egyptian civil aviation minister Sherif Fathi agreed, saying a terror attack was a ‘stronger’ possibility.
The plane reportedly went down after making ‘sudden swerves’ in mid-air, Greek defence minister Panos Kammenos said.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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