Ians

Cairo: International investigators here on Sunday began probing the reasons for the crash of a Russian passenger plane in Egypt's Sinai peninsula on Saturday, the media reported.

The Egyptian and the Russian investigators have started analysing data from the plane's two black box recorders which have been recovered late Saturday, Xinhua reported.

Two investigators specialised in the safety of the planes from the French Agency for Safety of Civil Aviation, six consultants from Airbus and two Germans, experts in the same field, will join the Egyptian-Russian team later on Sunday, the report said.

Emergencies Minister of Russia Vladimir Puchkov arrived in Cairo on Saturday with a team of experts to help with the Egyptian-led investigation.

Rescuers found 163 bodies of 224 passengers and crew, the cabinet statement said on Sunday, adding the search has widened.

A Russian airliner crashed into a mountainous area in the restive Sinai on Saturday. A militant group affiliated to IS in Egypt claimed responsibility for the crash.

Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail said on Saturday it was impossible to determine the cause of the crash till the black box was examined.

"Experts asserted that a plane flying that high technically cannot be shot down," Ismail said, adding that no "irregular" activities were believed to be behind the crash.

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