Egypt’s public prosecutor on Monday denied reports that a cockpit fire may have been the cause of the 2016 EgyptAir crash, reiterating that forensic information had shown traces of explosive materials on the victims’ bodies.
The denial comes after French investigators alleged that the 2016 crash of the Paris-Cairo flight that killed all 66 people on board was likely caused by a cockpit fire.
The Egyptian Public prosecutor’s office it was still conducting its investigation into the crash “in full cooperation with the French investigation side”.
“Reports on news sites suggesting that the cause of the crash was a fire inside the cockpit have no basis,” the statement said.
“The investigations are still ongoing and the report from the forensic medicine authority has confirmed the presence of traces of explosive materials on the victims’ body fragments as well as some metal, plastic and solid materials from the plane wreckage that were stuck to the body parts at the crash scene.”
Twelve of those killed in the May 2016 crash were French nationals.
