People react as they come to lay flowers in memory of the plane crash victims at Dvortsovaya (Palace) Square in St.Petersburg, Russia, on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015.
One U.S. official has told some media that intercepted communications point to the possibility that Islamic State was responsible. And British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said "there is a significant possibility that the crash was caused by an explosive devise on board the aircraft."
Experts are examining the wreckage for any signs of terrorism, while some reports say forensic examinations have revealed shrapnel in some of the victims. The experts also have retrieved both black box flight recorders.
Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the disaster, but has so far not presented any firm evidence to back it up.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi has dismissed Islamic State's claim as "propaganda" and an effort to damage Egyptian security and stability. He is in London to meet Thursday with British Prime Minister David Cameron.
With Britain and Egypt offering vastly different opinions on the cause of the plane crash, the incident is sure to be high on the two leaders' agenda. The meeting at 10 Downing Street was scheduled before the crash took place.
The Associated Press is reporting that the chief of the Sharm El-Sheikh airport, Abdel-Wahab Ali, was promoted Wednesday to become assistant to the chairman of the state company that runs Egypt's civilian airports. It is not clear what effect this would have on his position at the airport.
David Schenker, a Middle East expert with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, tells VOA "it would not come as much of a surprise" if Islamic State was responsible for destroying the plane.
Schenker said the extremist group has an interest in attacking both Egypt and Russia, and that blowing up a soft target like a civilian airliner would send a powerful signal.
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