Putin orders emergency teams to Egypt

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the emergency ministry to dispatch rescue teams to Egypt, after the crash of a Russian passenger plane with 224 on board.

"The head of state has given orders to send emergency ministry (teams) to Egypt immediately to work at the plane crash site," a Kremlin statement said.

Putin also ordered the government to launch a special commission "due to the catastrophe of Kogalymavia company plane in Egypt".

An emergency ministry meeting shown on Russian television announced that teams of rescue workers along with the emergency minister, Vladimir Puchkov, will fly to Egypt on Saturday afternoon.

Russia's transport minister, Maksim Sokolov, and the head of the air transport agency, Alexander Neradko, are also leaving for the site, the ministry's representative said.

Russia's Investigative Committee has launched a criminal inquiry into any possible violation of air safety rules, a standard procedure when air crashes involving Russian planes occur. It is also sending investigators to the scene.

Russia's air transport agency, Rosaviatsia, said the Airbus 321 was carrying 217 passengers and seven crew when it disappeared from the radar, after taking off from the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh.

The flight was en route to St Petersburg.

It was operated by Kogalymavia, an airline carrying out charter flights for tourism operators, and operating under the brand Metrojet.

In Egypt, military planes have spotted the wreckage of the plane in the Sinai Peninsula and 45 ambulances have been sent to evacuate the dead and injured.