Do not jump to conclusions about cause of EgyptAir crash: Egypt's Sisi

Ahram Online , Sunday 22 May 2016

El-Sisi said that an Egyptian submarine headed early Sunday to the site of the EgyptAir crash in search of the planes's two black boxes

El-Sisi
An archive photo for President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi (Photo:AP)

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi urged local and international media outlets Sunday not to jump to conclusions about the crash of EgyptAir flight MS804, adding that all possible causes for the disaster were being reviewed thoroughly.

"Investigations take time, [so] there is no need to rush in to conclusions now," El-Sisi told a crowd of dozens during a speech to inaugurate the expansion of the Misr Fertilizer Production Company in Damietta.

El-Sisi added that Egyptian and French officials are coordinating investigations into the causes of the crash of the Airbus 320.

The Egyptian President revealed during his speech that early Sunday a Ministry of Petroleum submarine will search for the airplane's two black boxes.

While offering his condolences to the families of MS804 victims, El-Sisi said that he was informed of the crash at 4am Thursday, after which search and rescue teams from Egyptian Air Force and Navy were promptly ordered to aid in the international search for wreckage of the missing plane.

Praising the speedy response state institutions made to the EgyptAir MS804 crash, the Egyptian president demanded officials involved in the ongoing investigations keep the public informed of any potential discoveries regarding the cause of the disaster.

El-Sisi's comments on Sunday marked the first time the president had spoken publicly about Thursday's MS804 crash that is believed to have killed all 66 people onboard.

"There is an attempt to obstruct our investigations, but amazingly that pressure only strengthens our resolve," El-Sisi said.

Although a majority of the president's speech was dedicated to the MS804 disaster, El-Sisi also spoke to the gathered crowd about the long-lasting effects the 25 January revolution had on oil and gas production in the country.

"The instability that occurred after [25 January] 2011 cost the state significant losses, including EGP 60 billion in losses for a single [unnamed] company," he said.

The president revealed that Egyptian oil sector products could be exported for EGP 200 billion, but are instead being currently sold locally for 58% of the total value due to subsidies paid by the state. 

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