(VOVworld) – Russians held a state funeral on Sunday to commemorate 224 victims who died in a plane crash in Egypt on Saturday.
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| People react as they come to lay flowers and toys at an entrance of Pulkovo airport outside St.Petersburg, Russia, during a day of national mourning for the plane crash victims, on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2015. (Photo: Dmitry Lovetsky/AP) |
Russia’s state agencies, the government, and parliament flew flags at half-mast. Entertainment activities were canceled and a number of TV shows were suspended. Saint Petersburg authorities say they will wear mourning for the victims until November 3rd. An Airbus A321 from Kogalymavia Airlines went off the radar 23 minutes after taking off from Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport to St Petersburg. Russia sent three planes and special teams to the site of the plane crash in Egypt’s Sinai to investigate the accident and bring the victims’ bodies home.
The Russian Investigative Committee said it will consider all possibilities during its investigation. In Egypt, experts are decoding two black boxes found at the site of the crash. Recovering their data is expected to take a few days.