EgyptAir: Search for Human Remains Extended

The search for human remains from the May 19 EgyptAir MS804 plane crash has been extended to ensure that all possible remains are collected.

In a statement on Saturday, the Egyptian committee running the search announced that the John Lethbridge, from Mauritius-based Deep Ocean Search, will now continue its mission until July 18.

The Airbus A320 crashed whilst en route from Paris to Cairo. All 66 on board died, and the plane is believed to be in one of the deepest parts of the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and the north coast of Egypt.

The John Lethbridge, designed for deep ocean operations, was contracted in by the Egyptian authorities to search for the plane's black boxes (containing recorded flight information) and other remains from the crash.

It has been used to scan the seabed to salvage all human remains from the accident spot. Forensic doctors are on board, and a large amount of human remains have already been handed over to coroners in Egypt.

Possible EgyptAir Wreckage Washes up in Israel

Debris apparently from the crash was found on a beach north of Tel Aviv last week, an official in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said.

Netanyahu, who was briefed about the discovery during a visit to Ethiopia, instructed Israeli authorities to hand over the material to Egypt, possibly as early as Friday, for further analysis, the official said.

Last week, debris from the jet was brought to Cairo airport, where investigators will try to reassemble part of the frame to help establish what might have caused the disaster.

The Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said "parts of an airplane" were discovered on the seashore in Netanya, a Mediterranean resort town about 30 kilometers (18 miles), north of Tel Aviv.

"They were collected and it turns out there is a very high probability that they are from the Egyptian plane," the official said, without elaborating. "In accordance with international procedures, France, the aircraft's departure point, and Egypt, were informed."

On Tuesday last week, sources on the crash investigation committee said audio from the flight deck voice recorder indicates an attempt to put out a fire on board the aircraft before it plunged into the Mediterranean.

The cause of the crash remains unknown.