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One Australian confirmed onboard missing EgyptAir flight MS804: FM

Xinhua, May 20, 2016 Adjust font size:

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on Friday confirmed an Australian-UK dual national was one of the 56 passengers onboard missing EgyptAir flight MS804.

The Airbus A320 jet, carrying 56 passengers and 10 crew, was confirmed missing by Egyptian authorities late on Thursday after it departed Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport bound for the Egyptian capital Cairo.

The flight was 16 km into Egyptian airspace before it disappeared from radar at 2:45 a.m. local time.

Bishop said the Australian government was "working closely" with relevant authorities to offer assistance in this difficult time.

"I regretfully confirm that one of the passengers on Egypt Air flight, MS804, en route from Paris to Cairo, was an Australian-UK dual national," Bishop said in a statement.

"We are working closely with UK authorities, which are taking the lead in the provision of consular assistance to the man's family.

"The government is working with our partners and allies to understand the reasons behind the flight's disappearance and presumed crash. It is too early to speculate on the cause of this incident."

Bishop said she, along with all Australians, expressed their deepest sympathies in the wake of the tragedy.

"My thoughts are with the families and friends of those affected," she said.

"Out of respect for the man's family, the government will not provide more details at this stage." Endit