French vessel finds EgyptAir wreckage in Mediterranean Sea

Sputnik
Wed, 15 Jun 2016 21:21 UTC

© AP Photo/ Thomas Ranner

An investigation committee says it has found wreckage from the EgyptAir jet that disappeared over the Mediterranean last month.

The wreckage of EgyptAir flight 804 was discovered by a French vessel, the John Lethbridge, according to Egypt's Aviation Ministry. A statement says that "several main locations of the wreckage" have been found.

The Airbus A320 crashed with a total of 66 people onboard, including 56 passengers, while en route from Paris to Cairo.

The cause of the crash is still unknown. There is speculation that terrorism may have been involved, though no groups have come forward to claim responsibility.

Earlier this week, investigators expressed concerns that the aircraft's black box would stop emitting signals on June 24, making it almost impossible to find the aircraft.

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The John Lethbridge has been contracted by the Egyptian government from the Mauritius-based Deep Ocean Search firm to join the search for flight MS804's debris and flight data recorders.

The committee said the vessel obtained images of the wreckage located between the Greek island of Crete and the Egyptian coast, and that the next step will be drawing a map showing the wreckage location.

The John Lethbridge is equipped with sonar and other equipment capable of detecting wreckage at depths up to 6,000ft.