RIO DE JANEIRO, June 17 (RIA Novosti) - Another body has been found in the Atlantic Ocean where an Air France plane went down on June 1, bringing the total to 50, the Brazilian Navy and Air Force said at a joint press conference.

Air France Flight 447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris was carrying 228 passengers and crew when it lost contact with ground controllers about four hours into the flight. The crash is the worst in the airline's 75-year history, and the world's worst for almost a decade.

There are still 178 people missing, and the search operations involving over 1,000 people are due to continue until at least June 19, and could be extended depending on weather and sea conditions.

Rescuers hope to find the Airbus's black boxes that could hold clues as to the cause of the crash.

There is yet no official information on the cause of the crash. Experts said earlier the recovery of the largely intact tail fin suggested the airliner broke up in flight before crashing into the water.

Authorities said that the autopsies on the bodies showed that there had been no blast or fire on board the aircraft.

"The bodies were recovered whole, which is also said to be unusual after a mid-air explosion," the Buenos Aires Herald said citing local authorities. "Examination by X-ray revealed no evidence that the bodies had been penetrated by shards of metal."