All 224 aboard Russian jet dead [PHOTOS & VIDEO]

Airlines avoid flying over Sinai amid IS claim it downed the plane

There were no survivors among the 224 passengers and crew of Kogalymavia Flight KGL9268 that crashed on Saturday in central Sinai. Because of the air mishap, some airlines are avoiding the Sinai peninsula amid conflicting reports about the cause of the crash.

Egypt suggests the crash was because of a technical fault, but the Islamic State (IS) claims it downed the Airbus A-321 bound for St. Petersburg. “The fighters of the Islamic State were able to down a Russian plane over Sinai province that was carrying over 220 Russian crusaders. They were all killed, thanks be to God,” IS tweeted, quotes The New York Post.

However, Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail points out there were no irregular activities, while Russian Transport Minister Maksim Sokolov downplays the IS claim. He says “such reports cannot be considered true” because of lack of evidence that the plane was targeted, reports BBC.

BBC cites security experts who points out that at the altitude of the Russian aircraft, at 31,000 feet, it is beyond the range of a Manpad, or the shoulder-launched surface-to-air missile of Sinai militants known to own such weapons. The plane disappeared from the Cyprus air traffic control office’s radar screen at 6:14 am, reports the Telegraph.

The plane split into two, with majority of the passengers still strapped to their seats. Ayman al-Muqadem, member of the Aviation Incidents Committee, said the pilot asked to land at the nearest airport which would not be the case if the jet was hit by a missile.

Out of the 224 people on board, 217 were passengers and seven were crew. Except for three Ukrainians, all were Russians.

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared Nov. 1, Sunday, as a day of mourning. He sent rescue teams to the crash site and an official investigation to be conducted. Sokolov leads the commission which left for Egypt on Saturday afternoon.

Major airlines are reviewing their routes over Egypt. Air France and Lufthansa said on Saturday that it would avoid flying over the Sinai peninsula as a precaution until further notice, reports The Telegraph. But British Airways and EasyJet said it would not change their route to and from Sharm el-Sheikh where the ill-fated jet departed from.