(VOVworld) - President Vladimir Putin declared November 1^st national day of mourning after plane crash in Egypt. All the 224 victims will be transported to St Petersburg. Russia for identification. French President Francois Holland and Egypt Prime Minister Sherif Ismail sent messages of condolence to Russia. Vietnam’s President Truong Tan Sang on Saturday expressed condolence to Russian leader on this occasion.

Relatives of passengers of crashed Russian A321 at Pulkovo airport (Photo: Tass.ru)

Russian Transport Minister Maksim Sokolov, head of the governmental commission investigating the A321 aircraft crash in Egypt, Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov and Federal Air Transport Agency Head Aleksandr Neradko have arrived in Cairo to investigate the air crash. Earlier, the Emergencies Ministry said that it would coordinate the Russian rescuers’ operation on the ground. The Ilyushin Il-76 plane of the Russian Emergencies Ministry, carrying 40 rescuers has landed at the Cairo airport. The plane also transported bodies of the victims to St.Petersburg for identification. Egypt’s Minister of Tourism Himam Zazou said Cairo authorities are willing to support in transporting of the crash victims from Sinai Peninsula to Russia.

On Saturday morning, Kogalymavia airline’s Flight 9268 carrying Russian tourists home on board an Airbus A321 aircraft crashed 30 minutes after taking off. The plane wreckage was spotted in the north of the Sinai Peninsula, some 100 kilometers south of the city of El-Arish.

There were 217 passengers and seven crew members on board, most of them were Russian nationals.