A Russian passenger aircraft has crashed in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, the office of Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail has confirmed.

A “Russian civilian plane… crashed in the central Sinai,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement.

“Prime Minister [Ismail] is expected to meet the concerned ministries and competent authorities to follow up on the accident of the Russian civilian plane that fell in central Sinai,” the premier’s office added.

The Airbus A-321 was reportedly chartered by Russian airline Kogalymavia and was carrying 217 passengers and seven crew members.

An Egyptian security source said that the pilot of the Russian plane had requested to make emergency landing at the closest-possible airport before losing contact with air traffic control.

The Egyptian prime minister has gone to the scene of the crash.

Wreckage found, voices heard inside

Possible casualties are yet to be reported by Egyptian and Russian media.

“Military planes have discovered the wreckage of the plane... in a mountainous area, and 45 ambulances have been directed to the site to evacuate dead and wounded,” an Egyptian cabinet statement said.

Meanwhile, a Russian source with knowledge of the situation told Interfax that the plane “has been fully destroyed,” strengthening speculations that most of the individuals on board have likely been killed.

Despite that assertion, an officer with the Egyptian search and rescue team present at the site has said he heard voices in a section of the Russian plane’s wreckage. He has been quoted as saying that some passengers may still be alive.

Black box found

A latest report by Russia’s Ria Novosti news agency said the bodies of 100 passengers, including five children, together with one of the aircraft’s flight recorders had been found.

The Russian Investigative Committee’s main investigations department has opened a criminal case into the crash under Russian transport laws.

‘Not shot down’

Meanwhile, reacting to media speculation that the plane may have been shot down, Egyptian security sources have said there are no indications to that effect.

A frenzy of initial reports provided conflicting information about the fate of the plane as it lost contact with Egyptian air traffic control.