If you’re not yet aware, this Saturday, the world was once again marked by a tragic event, as a Russian plane crashed in the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula, hence killing all 224 people on board.
At this moment in time, the causes of the crash remain unclear. While the governments of the two countries stated that the cause of the crash was a technical failure, the Islamic State has actually went ahead and stated that they are the ones who took down the plane, by using a ground-to-air missile. Counter-arguments against the statement said that it is impossible for the IS to have access to rockets capable of flying that high up into the air, while also hitting the plane precisely. The reasoning behind the attack might be that Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has decided to start a war against ISIS, and bring the terrorism group to an end once and for all.
Based on this, a conspiracy theory was formed, similar to the one of last year, when yet another plane was shot down over Ukraine, killing all people on board. While it’s clear that the plane in question was shot down using a rocket, there are still sides debating who actually shot the rocket towards the plane.
At this moment in time, the disaster has prompter airlines to stop flying into the region, as a way of avoiding any similar events in case that it was in fact the IS which shot down the plane. Because of this, Egypt’s faltering tourism economy will have to suffer once again. Opinions are also divided, as there is no official word from the authorities stating whether the crash was a mere technical failure, or a terrorist attack. The Egyptian Prime Minister, Sherif Ismail stated that he was told that it was impossible for militants in the region to shoot down the plane, considering the fact that at the time of breaking down, it was 30,000 feet into the air.
Regardless of this, airlines such as Air France, Lufthansa and the Emirates have decided to avoid flying over the region until the actual cause of the crash is determined by the competent authorities. Vladimir Putin has started an official investigation, which we are excited to hear more about.
It’s important to mention that while it was once a great tourism hub, Egypt’s tourism profits have fallen by over 95%, following the revolution that managed to unseat the Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, and the terrorist attacks that have been felt throughout the country.
Based on everything that has been outlined so far, what are your personal thoughts about the crash of the Russian airliner? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
