Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

EgyptAir flight MS804 crash: Body parts and 'wreckage' found in search for plane in Mediterranean Sea

There were believed to be 56 passengers, seven crew and three security staff on board

The Egyptian army says it has found wreckage of the missing Airbus 320 290km north of Alexandria
The Egyptian army says it has found wreckage of the missing Airbus 320 290km north of Alexandria (AP)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

An EgyptAir plane travelling from Paris to Cairo has crashed. Here are the latest updates:

Please allow a moment for the live blog to load

International search teams were searching the Mediterranean Sea for wreckage near where the aircraft crashed between the island of Crete and Alexandria.

Flight MS804 left Charles De Gaulle Airport at 11.09pm (10.09pm BST) on Thursday, with 56 passengers, three EgyptAir security personnel and seven cabin crew members.

The airline tweeted that the plane lost contact with radar at 2.30am Cairo time (1.30am BST), while flying at cruise altitude of 37,000 feet. It was due to arrive in Cairo at 3.05am.

It said the pilot had logged 6,275 flying hours, including 2,101 hours on the A320, and the co-pilot had logged 2,766 hours.

In March, a domestic EgyptAir flight with 72 passengers on board had to make an emergency diversion to Larnaca, Cyprus, after an alleged hijacking.

In October 2015, 224 people were killed when a Russian aircraft crashed over Egypt's Sinai Peninsula minutes after it took off from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

The airline has also provided free contact numbers for families concerned for relatives. From outside of Egypt, anyone concerned should call + 202 25989320

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in