EgyptAir crash: claims human remains indicate blast on board disputed

Officials are disputing claims that forensic analysis of remains recovered from the EgyptAir jet crash show evidence of an explosion on board. An unnamed forensic examiner quoted by the Associated Press said the remains were so small an explosion was the only “logical” explanation. The official is part of the Egyptian investigative team and has personally examined the remains at a Cairo morgue. He said all 80 pieces brought to Cairo so far are small and that “there isn’t even a whole body part, like an arm or a head”.

There was no turning to the right or left, and it was fine when it entered Egypt’s FIR [flight information region], which took nearly a minute or two before it disappeared.

Ehab Azmy, the head of Egypt’s state-run provider of air navigation services

However, other senior figures are now disputing the initial conclusion, saying it is far too early to say what brought down the Airbus A320 in the Mediterranean Sea, some 180 miles off Alexandria. All 66 people on board perished and efforts are continuing to find the crucial black box flight recorder which should provide a clearer picture of events on board. In further developments, an Egyptian air traffic controller says they have no evidence of the erratic flight pattern reported by the Greeks happened. Egyptian authorities have said they believe terrorism is a more likely explanation than equipment failure.

EgyptAir