UPDATE: Russian Passenger Jet Crashes Over Sinai

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A passenger plane belonging to a small Russian airline, which was flying over 220 people from an Egyptian resort to Saint Petersburg, has vanished from radars over Sinai. Authorities in Egypt have confirmed the plane has crashed.

• 31 October 2015

10:07 GMT

At least five children have been found dead, out of a total of 17 aboard the plane, rescue teams report.

The aircraft split in two.

Other bodies can be seen still strapped to their seats.

• 10:00 GMT

President Vladimir Putin has expressed his deepest condolences to the families of those who perished in the tragic crash.

• 09:59 GMT

Voices of trapped passengers were reportedly heard in one section of the Russia-bound Airbus 320, according to an officer at the scene.

"There is another section of the plane with passengers inside that the rescue team is still trying to enter and we hope to find survivors especially after hearing pained voices of people inside," the officer, who chose to remain unnamed, told Reuters.

• 09:58 GMT

Egyptian authorities are reporting "casualties" at the crash site. The Prosecutor General has ordered a team of prosecutors to the site.

• 09:35 GMT

The Egyptian military told RT access to the crash site may be difficult for the press due to the volatile security situation in the Sinai. Large parts of the peninsula are dangerous due to the presence of militants, with only coastal areas in the north and south adequately guarded by security forces.

• 09:34 GMT

The notice boards at Pulkovo in Russia have reportedly not shown the arrival details for flight 7K 9269 from Sharm el-Sheikh. The board initially showed an estimated arrival time of 12:20 St. Petersburg time.

• 09:31 GMT

A state of emergency has allegedly been declared in north Sinai, a source tells RIA Novosti.

• 09:08 GMT

Russia's Emergencies Ministry is gathering a working group on the suspected crash of the Airbus 320 in Egypt's Sinai.

Three of the ministry's planes are awaiting orders for takeoff.

• 09:06 GMT

Egyptian authorities say the plane was traveling at an altitude of 31,000 feet when it vanished from radar.

The teams who located the plane say it was mangled almost beyond recognition. It would be difficult to imagine anyone surviving the impact, a security officer at the scene told Reuters.

• 08:46 GMT

The airliner does appear to have crashed. Egyptian rescue teams report finding debris in southern Arish, in the Sinai, according to the country's aviation authority.