Egyptian forensics experts have started collecting on Tuesday DNA samples from families of the 66 passengers and crew of EgyptAir flight MS804 that crashed over the Mediterranean last week, a statement by the Egyptian civil aviation ministry read.   

A team from the forensics authority arrived on Tuesday to a hotel where some of the family members of the victims of the flight are staying. Families not staying in the hotel were invited to give their DNA samples as well.

According to the forensics experts, the samples will aid in the identification of the victims' remains.

Of the 66 victims of Thursday's crash, 10 were Egyptian crew members while 56 were passengers including 30 Egyptians, 15 French, two Iraqis, one Briton, one Canadian, one Sudanese, one Chadian, one Portuguese, one Algerian, one Belgian, one Kuwaiti and one Saudi.

On Friday, the Egyptian military located debris, personal belongings, plane seats and human remains north of Alexandria near the spot where the plane vanished from radar.

The aircraft's black boxes, which could help investigators discover the cause of the crash, have yet to be located.

Egypt is leading an investigation into the cause of the crash with the help of a French team.