The Armed Forces, in cooperation with other state institutions, stepped up efforts to find the EgyptAir plane that went missing early on Thursday, a statement by the Armed Forces said.

Search and rescue naval units and aircraft were dispatched to find the missing plane, the statement added.

A state of alert was announced at military hospitals and crisis management centers in coordination with the cabinet and ministries of the foreign affairs and civil aviation to provide needed support, the Armed Forces said.

The Greek side is participating in the rescue and search operations, the statement added.

The plane was en route from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport to Cairo International Airport when it vanished from radar 10 miles after entering the Egyptian air field.

Some 56 passengers along with 10 crew members were on board the Airbus A320.

Radar lost contact with the flight at 2:45 Cairo local time while it was at an altitude of 37,000 feet.

Source: MENA