The Russian airline Kogalymavia/Metrojet has blamed “external activity” on Saturday’s plane crash which left 224 people dead.

An independent investigation into the crash by airline disaster experts using data from the black box recorders have yet to present their findings, but rumours are circulating that the plane broke up in mid air.

At a press conference in Egypt, Kogalymavia general director Alexander Smirnov said:

“The only explicable reason for the plane to have been destroyed in mid-air can be specific impact, purely mechanical, physical influence on the aircraft.”

The airline also described the Airbus A-321 as in a “good condition” and claim to have ruled out pilot error.

The Kremlin said that they could not rule out “terrorism” as a cause of the crash.

Meanwhile, the bodies of the victims have begun arriving bac