Canadian PM-designate expresses condolences to Russia on plane crash

Canada's Prime Minister-designate Justin Trudeau Saturday expressed his condolences to the families and friends of victims of the crashed Russian passenger plane in Egypt.

"I was shocked and saddened to learn today that a Russian passenger plane crashed in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, killing all on board" ,said Trudeau in a statement.

"While we do not yet know the cause of this terrible crash, I extend my deepest condolences to the families and friends of all those who lost their lives in today's tragedy," added the Canadian prime minister-designate, who is to swear in next Wednesday in Ottawa after his Liberal party defeated the ruling Conservative party led by Prime Minister Harper on October 19 this year.

As of 4:30 pm local time, the governing conservative government has not yet issued any official message of condolences over the tragic accident.

The Canadian-Russian ties have been sour since last year's Ukrainian crisis.

A Russian aircraft carrying 224 people, including 17 children, crashed Saturday in a remote mountainous region in the Sinai Peninsula about 20 minutes after taking off from a Red Sea resort popular with Russian tourists, the Egyptian government said. There were no survivors.

A group affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is claiming responsibility for bringing down the Russian plane in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

However, Russia authorities dismissed reports that the plane had been shot down as incredible, saying further investigation is needed to determine the cause of the crash.

Source: XINHUA