PRETORIA, November 2. /TASS/. The African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, has expressed condolences to the families of the passengers who lost their lives in the Russian airliner that crashed in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula on Saturday.

"It is with deep sorrow that I extend sincere condolences to the grieving families who lost their loved ones in this terrible tragedy", Dr Dlamini Zuma said in a statement on Monday. "My thoughts and prayers are with the victims’ relatives and Africa joins the Governments and people of Egypt, the Russian Federation and other grieving nationalities in mourning this profound loss."

An A321 passenger jet of Russia’s Kogalymavia air carrier (flight 9268) bound to St. Petersburg crashed on October 31 some 30 minutes after the takeoff from Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh.

It fell down 100 kilometers south of the administrative center of North Sinai Governorate, the city of Al-Arish. The plane was carrying 217 passengers and seven crew members. There were four Ukrainians and one Belarusian national among the passengers. According to Egypt’s officials, none of them survived.