EMERCOM announced the first results of its work at the site of A321 crash

Russian rescuers, which are working at the site of Airbus A321 crash (the jet was operated by Kogalymavia, which works under Metrojet brand) in Egypt, found a large fragment of the center section of the jet’s fuselage, RIA Novosti reports with reference to a representative of EMERCOM.

The work at the site of the crash at Sinai Peninsula was resumed on Monday, November 2nd. «All the goals have already been set; the work will be started at 7.00 a.m. in cooperation with Egyptian rescuers,» EMERCOM said earlier.

The representative of EMERCOM added that the rescuers would focus on the found fragment of the fuselage and the area of this search-and-rescue operation was extended to 20 square kilometers.

Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations Vladimir Stepanov said that EMERCOM team, which is working at the site of A321 crash, has all the equipment required to work under any lighting conditions. «This refers to lighting and hydraulic equipment as well as individual protective equipment for the rescuers,» he explained. According to him, the team is able to work in a “stand-alone mode” for 7 days.

Press-service of EMERCOM also published satellite images of the zone, where the jet crashed. The site of A321 crash, positions of rescue teams and areas, where fragments of the aircraft were found, are marked on these images.

Over 100 rescuers from Tsentrospas and Lider teams arrived in the area, where the A321 crashed; the teams moved to the site on Sunday November 1st 2015 from Cairo. They have set up a camp at the crash site and started the search-and-rescue operation.

According to the Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) and Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC), the liner collapsed at high altitude. Fragments of the jet fell all over the area of 20 square kilometers. Some experts suggested that the jet might have burst into flames in the air.

Airbus A321 operated by Kogalymavia departed from Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg at 06:51 (Moscow time). At 07:14 it did not establish contact with Larnaca (Cyprus) and its mark disappeared from radars. The liner crashed in the Northern part of Sinai Peninsula. 217 passengers were onboard (214 citizens of Russia, including 25 children) and seven members of the crew. All of them died.