Officials have speculated that the crash of EgyptAir Flight 804 was a terror attack.
Early results of the ongoing investigation seem to confirm that suspicion.
Human remains retrieved from the plane remains suggest there was an explosion on board that may have brought down the aircraft in the east Mediterranean, a senior Egyptian forensics official said on Tuesday.
“The logical explanation is that an explosion brought it down,” the official told The Associated Press.
The official, who is part of the Egyptian team investigating the crash that killed all 66 people on board the flight from Paris to Cairo early last Thursday, has personally examined the remains at a Cairo morgue. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information.
All 80 pieces that have been brought to Cairo so far are small. “There isn’t even a whole body part, like an arm or a head,” said the official, adding that one piece was the left part of a head.
“But I cannot say what caused the blast,” he said. He did not say whether traces of explosives were found on the human remains retrieved so far.
The expert’s comments mark a new dramatic twist surrounding last week’s crash, which still remains a mystery. The plane’s black boxes have yet to be found and photographs of retrieved debris published by the Egyptian military over the weekend were not charred and appear to show no signs of fire.
Egyptian officials have said they believe terrorism is a more likely explanation than equipment failure, or some other catastrophic event, and some aviation experts have said the erratic flight reported by the Greek defense minister suggests a bomb blast or a struggle in the cockpit.
But so far no hard evidence has emerged on the cause of the disaster.
An independent Cairo daily, al-Watan, quoted an unnamed forensics official in its Tuesday edition as saying the plane blew up in midair — but that it has yet to be determined whether the blast was caused by the an explosive device or something else. The official further said the remains retrieved so far are “no larger than the size of a hand.”
France’s aviation accident investigation agency would not comment on anything involving the bodies or say whether any information has surfaced in the investigation to indicate an explosion.
In a search for clues, family members of the victims gave been arriving during the day Tuesday at the Cairo morgue forensics’ department to give DNA samples to help identify the remains of their kin, a security official said. The official also spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.
Also, a technical team from Egypt’s forensic medicine department went to a hotel near the Cairo International Airport where relatives of the victims are gathered to take DNA samples to use in identifying the bodies.
The EgyptAir crash shocked a nation struggling to revive its ailing economy and contain a resilient insurgency by Islamic terrorists.
Safety onboard Egyptian aircraft and at the country’s airports have been under close international scrutiny since a Russian airliner crashed in the Sinai Peninsula last October, killing all 224 people on board, shortly after taking off from an Egyptian resort. The crash — claimed by the Islamic State affiliate in Sinai and blamed by Moscow on an explosive device planted on board — decimated Egypt’s lucrative tourism industry, which had already been battered by years of turmoil in the country.
If mechanical or structural failure is found to be behind the crash of Flight 804, that would deal another severe blow to both tourism and the national carrier. If downed by an act of terror, the Egyptians can point to security at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, from which the plane took off.
Egypt has dispatched a submarine to search for the flight’s black boxes and a French ship joined the international effort to locate the wreckage and search for the plane’s data recorders.
Ships and planes from Britain, Cyprus, France, Greece and the United States are also taking part in the search for the debris from the aircraft, including the black boxes.
The Associated Press contributed to this article
It will be interesting to see if we ever get to see the contents of the black boxes. With so may countries looking for tem and with so much at stake, we will never know the truth about this event. It has been speculated that it was brought down by a satellite based pulse weapon of some kind. What do I know? I do know this, if there were any on board that won’t “play ball” with the world powers, that is the reason it was taken down, we will just never know for sure of the truth of the matter.
JMHO – YMMV
DS
and now…they will blame Trump.
Didn’t TRUMP already say this is what happened!!????
The Americans that are paying attention already have a suspicion as to what happened.
If anyone noticed, the pilots own father stated his son will be a martyr What kind of father says this??????
Wake up Americans. Wake up!!!
Listen to TRUMP. he is the ONLY one that actually tells the TRUTH. I’m sure Obammy is in the Oval Office with his feet on the dest saying yep, “another act of workplace violence”. And then cracks his knuckles and out the door to the golf course. It’s Tuesday. He golfs every day that ends in Y
HE IS ALMOST AS BAD A GOLFER AS HE IS A PRESIDENT
I’m surprised that none of you jackals has blamed the President yet, complete with some ‘clever’ variation of his name. After all, you still think he is a Kenyan Muslim so you probably will believe he is involved in this plot with ‘his’ people.
You are right OracleGuy, maybe Obombie was not directly involved but his people were. Islamphobia will keep you alive. SEMPER FI
Muslim immigration was the cause of Boston Marathon, San Bernadino. The president may not be directly responsible, but his welcome refugees attitude and open borders are taking a toll on Americans. Not to mention his little speech about Travon Martin, how that could be “his son”, and the interrogation of Law Enforcement across this nation by him and his DOJ!
He may not have done it but now there are police officers getting shot and killed while sitting in their vehicles, or during traffic stops. And the Black Lives Matter movement has sprung up to create hatred and disruption with a lack of respect for our nation’s laws.
Yeah, thanks Obama – you’ve done so much to disrespect this great nation.
The turmoil in black communities is so muslim where violence against infidels is their final solution. Turmoil in black community is generally located in Nortthern cities possibly where mosques exist? Plus petrodollars probably keep mosques afloat here like they do in islamic countries. Mosque and state are “married” in islam. Where govt supports and protects islam, the religion.
obama doing his best to hit this country with martial law so he can continue to be the so call person in the white house remember from the first day TRUMP said he was running for President obama said TRUMP will never and continues to say TRUMP will not be President if crooked hillary doesn’t get to be the person in the white house to continue covering obama and her tail obama will declare martial law then the constitute not worth the paper it’s written on. Neither crooked hillary or obama wants TRUMP to be President for he’s the ONLY ONE that’s letting people see how obama and crooked hillary has let all the illegals and muslims in to tear the United States apart neither of them worries about anything they have safe places 10,000 feet back in the mountains to protect their kind from any harm. There’s more race baiting now since obama went to the white house than there has ever been. Ask yourself why does obama give so much of our money to other countries and illegals when he won’t allow one penny to upgrade the power grid that we all use and need. Now think about who you should vote for.
If all of our talk was the answer, Obama would already be out of the Whitehouse and be living in prison or defected to Africa where he originated
When is Obama going to wake up to the activities of Obama and Clinton? Look at the crooked activities with the Clinton Foundation and the people that support it .
The media and this administration continually attempt to find any reason other than terrorism, instead of calling it what it is, it’s terrorism plain and simple! At least with Trump, you know where he stands on the issues, popular or not he tells it like it is! It’s refreshing to have such a straight shooter, that’s what we need in this country, the truth whether politically correct or not! GO TRUMP!!!
TRUMP,TRUMP,TRUMPTRUMP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This man has been chosen from God to help our country that’s why he cannot be stopped no matter what is thrown at him. Men, Women & young adults that can vote just look around you and see what is happening. VOTE TRUMP and give the man 4 years let him do the job for the people and if you still are not satisfied don’t give him another 4 years it’s as simple as that. What have you got to lose but another 4 years of Crooket Killary
We got a lot to lose if we don’t elect Donald Trump President in 2016. If Hillary gets in she appoints approx. 4 or 5 Supreme Court Justices. You will lose your religious freedoms and your right to keep and bear arms along with many other rights. She will destroy our US Constitution and continue Obama’s policies that has been destroying our country since the current President has taken office. We also need to get rid of the RINO’s in Congress. To name a few Paul Ryan Speaker of the House, Senator John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Mitch McConnell and other that have given Obama everything he wants. Yes there is a lot to lose if Hillary is elected time to put an outsider Donald Trump in the White House in 2016. Otherwise suffer the wrath.
Phillip you almost hit a home run you left out obama should have already been impeach since he hadn’t he needs to be impeach as soon as possible still you’re right on the money
Call a spade a spade, Obombie is a spade, his little minions at the White House are spades, but his Islamic terrorist buddies are a Royal Flush. Don’t let the door hit you in the ass Obama when you vacate the People’s House. SEMPER FI
If this was an act of terrorism, hopefully the terrorist organization behind the deadly act will be found and dealt with.
ISIS?
Now to probe airport, airline employees with Plane acess by position: (any can plant bomb) IE food service, cleaning crews, service techs, tarmac teams, luggage ( from any airline).
Scary & TSA does Nothing.
I am amazed at this article. The day this happened, FOX reported that ships saw a fireball in the sky near that area where this flight disappeared from radar. It takes a brilliant bunch of idiots in the aviation investigation field, to announce that this plane was brought down by an “explosion!” Any three year old could have made that deduction!
Was there any doubt that this was a terrorist attack. I don’t think you will see terrorist attacks in America till Obama is out of office and safe on some Hawaiian vacation. Then all hell will break loose. They are crossing our borders and laying low. The next president will have his hands full just trying to keep us safe and cleaning up the mess created by over regulation and the Democrat congress. The only one with enough nerve, energy and desire to save America is Donald Trump. Gary Johnson will be as useful as a flea on an elephants behind. Bernie is out of the question. Lying Joe Biden would be a third Obama term..