国际英语新闻：Polish president, 96 others killed in Russia plane crash

In a television address to the Polish people on Saturday, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced April 12 a day of national mourning for the victims of the plane crash.

Medvedev stressed that he had ordered a thorough investigation of the causes of the crash.

"This work will be done in close interaction with corresponding Polish structures and agencies," he said. "All instructions have been given to this end."

Earlier in the day, Medvedev sent Minister for Emergency Situations Sergei Shoigu to the crash site and ordered the establishment of an investigation committee headed by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

Putin left for the crash site to meet with his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk, who was also enroute to Smolensk.

EU Flags fly half-mast to mourn for the passed-away Polish President Lech Kaczynski in an air crash outside the European Commission in Brussels, capital of Belgium, April 10, 2010. All 97 people on board died when the Tu-154 aircraft carrying Kaczynski, his wife, and a delegation of senior officials crashed in thick fog while attempting to land at the Smolensk airport.

"The Polish premier wished to travel to the scene of the tragedy. I will go to meet him," Putin said. "We will visit the place of the crash together."

Putin said the bodies of the crash victims would be sent to Moscow for identification, and a special center would be established to help the victims' relatives from Poland.

Shoigu, who was at the site of the crash, said 97 bodies would be placed in coffins and taken to Moscow's Domodedovo airport.

"The bodies of those who died will be delivered to Moscow for identification," he said.

Both "black boxes have been found and examination on them have begun," Shoigu said.

The Russian Prosecutor General's investigations committee has opened an investigation into the crash.

"The investigation is looking into various theories...including unfavorable weather, human error, and technical malfunctions," the committee said in a statement.