CAIRO - The word "fire" is heard on the cockpit voice recorder of EgyptAir 804 before the plane crashed into the Mediterranean in May, an Egyptian-led investigative committee said Saturday. The data on the voice recorder had been downloaded earlier this month after it was repaired. The data recorder points to smoke signals indicating fires in the lavatory and avionics section of the plane, according to the committee. "The committee had... started listening to the cockpit voice recordings before the occurrence of the accident; where the existence of 'fire' was mentioned," it said in a statement. EgyptAir said last week that advance compensation payments of $25,000 will be offered to families of the 66 people killed in the crash.

Source: Bangkok Post July 16, 2016 18:45 UTC