Investigators of the EgyptAir flight crash on Thursday said that they have detected traces of explosives on the bodies of victims who were on the flight when it crashed in the Mediterranean Sea in May.
The findings of the civil aviation investigation committee of Egypt suggest that the crash of the EgyptAir flight MS804 may have been caused due to a bomb explosion. The flight from Egypt was heading towards Paris and had 66 people on board. No one survived.
The plane crashed under mysterious circumstances. The investigators' claims have, however, deepened the mystery behind the crash, giving rise to questions like if it was indeed a bomb blast then how did the explosive device get on the flight and who was responsible for the act.
"The central directorate of aircraft accident investigation received reports from the forensic medicine authority indicating traces of explosive materials found in some of the remains of the victims' bodies," the committee said.
The flight had many people on board from various countries. There were 40 Egyptians, 15 French people, two Iraqis, two Canadians and one passenger each from Algeria, Belgium, Britain, Chad, Portugal, Saudi Arabia and Sudan. Investigations into the case were hampered because of disagreements between Egyptian and French authorities over handing over the victims' remains.
Egyptian authorities said that they had found the traces of the explosive months ago but French authorities required some time to study the evidence themselves.
After the announcement of the findings, Egypt said that it will launch a criminal investigation into the crash of the aircraft.
