Stunned and grieving families of the 148 victims of an Egyptian charter plane crash in the Red Sea await news of the recovery of their loved ones.
The Flash Airlines flight from the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh was full of French vacationers returning to Paris, when it crashed shortly after takeoff early Saturday.
Officials have said there are no survivors among the 135 passengers and 13 Egyptian crew members aboard the Boeing seven-37.
In Paris, shocked friends and relatives gathered at Charles de Gaulle airport, where crisis counselors and government officials offered assistance.
A French official said many children were aboard the flight from the popular beach resort, and entire families are believed to have perished in the crash.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher ruled out the possibility of terrorism, and the Civil Aviation Ministry said the crash was apparently caused by a technical fault. But in Paris, Justice Minister Dominique Perben said he has asked French prosecutors to open a judicial inquiry for manslaughter.
French and American aviation experts are going to Egypt to assist authorities with the investigation into the crash.
In Egypt, families of crew members sought information about their loved ones, while military helicopters and recovery teams continued to search the Red Sea. Officials say some bodies and wreckage have been found.
The flight disappeared from radar screens moments after takeoff shortly before five o'clock this morning, local time. The airplane crashed into the Red Sea just 11 kilometers from (the waterfront airport at) Sharm el-Sheikh, on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula.