Traces of explosives found on victims of EgyptAir crash

By Mahmoud al-Husseini

CAIRO (AA) – Traces of explosives have been found on the remains of victims of an Egyptian passenger plane that crashed in the Mediterranean Sea in May, the Egyptian authorities announced Thursday.

The findings -- which represent the first suggestion by the Egyptian authorities of possible foul play -- came in a report issued by a committee tasked with investigating the incident.

In a statement, Egypt’s Civil Aviation Authority said the investigation committee had -- in light of the findings -- referred the matter to the country’s prosecution authorities.

On May 19, EgyptAir flight 804 from Paris to Cairo went down in the Mediterranean Sea killing all 66 people on board, including 40 Egyptians and 15 French nationals.

In July, the plane’s wreckage was found off the shore of Israel’s northern coastal city of Netanya.