The 15-year-old girl who was sitting on top of the bomb that brought down Russian jet over Egypt: Explosives hidden under seat 31A 'went off with the force of a kilo of TNT'

  • Plane went down over the Sinai on October 31 in disaster killing 224 people 
  • Forensic tests have now revealed bomb was stuffed under seat 30A or 31A
  • Maria Ivleva, 15, was in 31A and travelling back from holiday with mother 
  • Nadezhda Bashakova, 77, was in 30A, and it's thought both died instantly 

By Will Stewart and James Dunn For Mailonline

Published: 08:08 EST, 23 November 2015 | Updated: 09:41 EST, 23 November 2015

This young girl was sitting on top of the bomb that brought down the Russian jet when it went off with the force of 'a kilo of TNT' from underneath her seat.

Maria Ivleva, 15, is thought to have been the first to die ion the tragedy above the Sinai as crash investigators narrowed down the source of the explosion to underneath two exact seats.

A special report released today shows that the bomb, which killed 224 people, was underneath either seat 31A, where Maria was sat, or 30A, where 77-year-old Nadezhda Bashakova was sitting.

Pretty 15-year-old Maria Ivleva was the first to die when the bomb that took down a plane killing 224 people was went off after being stuffed under her seat

Pretty 15-year-old Maria Ivleva was the first to die when the bomb that took down a plane killing 224 people was went off after being stuffed under her seat

Plane records show that seat 30A was occupied by Nadezhda Bashakova (left), 77, from Volkhov in St Petersburg region, travelling with her daughter Margarita Simanova, 43, who sat in 30B
In seat 31A was Maria Ivleva, 15, also from St Petersburg region

A special report released today shows that the bomb, which killed 224 people, was underneath either seat 31A, where Maria was sat (right), or 30A, where 77-year-old Nadezhda Bashakova was sitting (left)

Investigators said it is likely that those directly on and behind the seats were killed instantly when the bomb went off with the force ‘equal to a kilo of TNT’ 

Investigators said it is likely that those directly on and behind the seats were killed instantly when the bomb went off with the force ‘equal to a kilo of TNT’ 

Investigators said it is likely that those directly on and behind the seats were killed instantly when the bomb went off with the force ‘equal to a kilo of TNT’.

However, others will have suffered in the panic of the explosion for much longer as the plane plunged from 31,000 feet at a rate of 6,000 ft per minute before hitting the ground. 

The epicentre of the explosion was discovered thanks to chemical and other forensic tests on the Airbus A321, according to a report released today by Russian news organisation LifeNews.

One theory is that the bomb could have been placed under the seat in the space where the lifejacket is located. 

'Investigators and secret service experts managed to locate the seat under which the terrorists planted the bomb which destroyed Airbus A321,' said the report in the pro-Kremlin media.

They believe that an explosive device was 'likely' planted under seats 30A or 31A, stated the report. 

Nadezhda Bashakova (left), was travelling with her daughter Margarita Simanova, 43, who sat in 30B

Nadezhda Bashakova (left), was travelling with her daughter Margarita Simanova, 43, who sat in 30B

'The bomb which was equal to one kilo of TNT exploded and its forces went forwards and hit the rows up to 27. The wave went slightly backwards too and hit the row 32. 

'The experts who tested the parts and bodies noted that the people who occupied the seats near the bomb, almost certainly died at once.' 

The seats - and those around 30A and 31A - were occupied by Russian tourists who had been to Sharm El Sheikh.

There is no suggestion they were suicide bombers, instead they were seen as innocent victims among the 224 who perished in Russia's worst-ever air disaster.

Instead the Russian authorities are working closely with the Egypians and British - who first provided intelligence suggesting a bomb was on board - to discover who planted it. 

There is no suggestion that the people in the seats were suicide bombers, and investigators continue to look into the crash which is Russia's worst ever air disaster

There is no suggestion that the people in the seats were suicide bombers, and investigators continue to look into the crash which is Russia's worst ever air disaster

Last week the Russians disclosed that Britain is continuing to provide data on the downing of the plane over Sinai on 31 October.

Moscow has offered a $50million (£33million) reward for information.

Plane records show that seat Nadezhda Bashakova, from Volkhov in St Petersburg region, was travelling with her daughter Margarita Simanova, 43, who was sat in 30B.

The mother and daughter were experienced travellers and a year earlier visited Goa before being killed in the tragedy.

Maria Ivleva, also from the St Petersburg region, was with her mother Marina Ivleva, 44, who occupied seat 31B.


 

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