- Title: No hypothesis can be ruled out over EgyptAir plane - France's Hollande
- Date: 19th May 2016
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (MAY 19, 2016) (REUTERS) FRENCH PRESIDENT FRANCOIS HOLLANDE ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT, FRANCOIS HOLLANDE, SAYING: "The information we have been able to gather - the Prime Minister and other members of the government and, of course, the Egyptian authorities - confirms to us that the plane came down and is lost." CAMERAMAN FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT, FRANCOIS HOLLANDE, SAYING: "It is our duty to find out and understand everything about the causes of what has happened. No hypothesis can be ruled out, nor can any be favoured over another." JOURNALISTS LISTENING NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT, FRANCOIS HOLLANDE, SAYING: "And as soon as we find out the truth, we should be able to come to a conclusion. Be it an accident or another theory which each of us may be thinking, that could be a terrorist theory. But at this stage, we must first put forward our solidarity with the families, and continue to search for the cause of this catastrophe." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
- Embargoed: 3rd June 2016 12:08
- Keywords: EgyptAir Egypt Paris Mediterranean plane crash Airbus Francois Hollande
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Air Accidents,Disaster/Accidents
- Reuters ID: LVA0014IH4OXZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: No hypothesis can so far be ruled out about the fate of an EgyptAir plane that went missing earlier on Thursday (May 19) on its way from Paris to Cairo, French President Francois Hollande said.
"The information we have been able to gather - the Prime Minister and other members of the government and, of course, the Egyptian authorities - confirms to us that the plane came down and is lost," Hollande said.
"It is our duty to find out and understand everything about the causes of what has happened. No hypothesis can be ruled out, nor can any be favoured over another," he added.
According to Greece's civil aviation chief, calls from Greek air traffic controllers to the jet went unanswered just before it left the country's airspace, and it disappeared from radar screens soon afterwards.
Officials with the airline and the Egyptian civil aviation department told Reuters they believed the Airbus had crashed into the Mediterranean between Greece and Egypt.
"Be it an accident or another theory which each of us may be thinking, that could be a terrorist theory. But at this stage, we must first put forward our solidarity with the families, and continue to search for the cause of this catastrophe," Hollande noted.
Separately, Paris prosecutors said that they were opening an investigation into matter. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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