Saturday, October 31, 2015, marked the deadliest air accident in the history of Russian aviation. Two hundred and twenty–four people – 217 passengers and 7 crewmembers – aboard Kogalymavia Flight 9268 were all killed. Flight 9268 began its journey at the popular beach resort Sharm el–Sheikh at the southern tip of Sinai Peninsula. It was headed towards the destination of St. Petersburg, likely carrying tourists from holidays in Egypt. Shortly after takeoff, about 23 minutes later, the Metrojet flight dropped off radar screens. It plummeted after reaching cruising altitude, scattering in chunks and bits across a remote area.

It remains a mystery as to what precipitated Flight 9268 to hurtle to the ground. There exist numerous possibilities. Considering that the captain of the plane, Valery Nemov, had 12,000 hours of experience, the Russian Interfax news agency does not believe human error played a role in the crash. Rather it has been inferred that technical difficulties and malfunction and other external factors were a potential cause. The New York Times reports that as representatives from at least five countries joined the investigation of the Airbus jetliner crash, new questions arose about the aircraft’s repair history and the possibility that a terrorist act felled it on Saturday.

Russia’s Emergencies Ministry (RIA) said 129 bodies and two black boxes with flight data from the plane were found at the crash site. “The plane split into two, a small part on the tail end that burned and a larger part that crashed into a rock. We have extracted at least 100 bodies, and the rest are still inside.” Morgue officials began working to identify the victims with the help of DNA samples and relatives. The Russian news outlet published the first photos, revealing smoking wreckage and piles of belongings spread out on desolate terrain.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a statement expressing his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and declared a day of mourning. Friends and relatives of those on the flight gathered to grieve at St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport on Sunday. They piled flowers high in memory of their deceased compatriots. They also arranged candles to spell out 7K–9268, signifying the number of the flight that crashed.