Missing EgyptAir Flight 804 crashed, officials say

Egypt says that EgyptAir Flight 804, en route from Paris to Cairo, crashed in the Mediterranean early Thursday morning, shortly after entering Egyptian air space. The airplane, an Airbus A320, was carrying 66 passengers and crew, including three security personnel, with 30 of the passenger from Egypt, 15 from France, two Iraqis, and one person from Britain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Chad, Portugal, Belgium, Algeria, and Canada. Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail said it was too soon to say if a technical malfunction or terrorism was to blame, but said "we cannot rule anything out."

French President Francois Hollande also said Thursday that "information confirms, alas, that this plane has crashed," and the Paris prosecutor's office has opened an investigation. French aircraft have joined Egyptian and Greek planes and ships searching for any survivors or wreckage. Egyptian officials say that the pilot did not send a distress signal, and Greek aviation authorities say they were in contact with the pilot, with no trouble reported, until they received no response 10 miles before the plane crossed into Egyptian air space; they lost radar contact soon after. Weather conditions were clear. You can learn more in The Associated Press report below. Peter Weber

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