No survivors on Russian jet that crashed in Egypt with 224 on board as rescuers find children's bodies strapped to their seats

The pilot of the doomed passenger jet was trying to bring the stricken aircraft into el-Arish airport in northern Sinai after radioing that the Airbus A321 was suffering technical difficulties. Egyptian security forces reported that the jet split into two sections after it struck the ground a distance from the airport. Rescuers reported that the bodies of 17 children have been recovered still strapped to their seats while an unspecified number of 'casualties' being taken to local hospitals. The aircraft was carrying 200 adult passengers, 17 children and seven crew. The jet crashed 23 minutes after taking off from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh and was en-route to St Petersburg when it vanished from radar screens. Russian president Vladimir Putin has ordered his own team of investigators to the crash scene to determine what happened to the Irish-registered jet which was leased to a small Russian airline.