[ot-caption title=”A women lights a candle to pay tribute to victims of a Metrojet plane crashed in Egypt, in front of the Russia’s Embassy in Vilnius, Lithunia, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2015. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)”]

On October 31st, Russian passenger plane Kogalymavia Flight 9268 crashed in the northern part of the Sinai peninsula, leading to the death of all passengers aboard the plane.

The plane, whose airline is also known as Metrojet, vanished from radar at around 6:20 a.m. local time after its departure from the Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport in the south of the peninsula. The plane was heading for St. Petersburg, Russia.

It was reported by Russian state media that out of the 224 people who were aboard the plane, 217 of the victims were Russian nationals, while Pavlo Klimkin, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, reported that four of the passengers were from the Ukraine.

Currently, investigators still do not know what caused Kogalymavia Flight 9268 to crash in the Sinai peninsula. Egyptian Airports Co. Chief Adel Al-Mahjoob confirmed that the plane, which was an Airbus A321, showed no problems during the routine check before its departure. He stated, “there was nothing abnormal before the plane crash” and that “it suddenly disappeared from the radar.” The weather was clear as well and no distress calls were identified by Air traffic control recordings.

However, concerns are arising that terrorist actions might have been a possible reason for the plane crash since it was reported that a militant group in the Sinai peninsula claimed responsibility for it. Although crucial data from the flight recorders, which were recovered and are subject to analysis, imply a possible explosion on board the plane, it is still not clear whether a bomb is the true cause of the Metrojet plane crash. Authorities are also taking other factors, such as technical failures, into consideration. Nevertheless, the reason for the plane crash still remains a mystery.

This tragic event had a substantial emotional impact on families of the victims who made a makeshift shrine for those who perished during the flight in the St. Petersburg airport. Numerous candles and carnations were also dropped off at the Pulkovo Airport after the incident.

Sources: BBC News, CNN News, The Guardian, NBC News, NY Daily News, Photo Source: Ivan Sekretarev