The Boeing 737 went down 6 minutes after take-off. Photo/ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES.
The Boeing 737 crashed on take-off from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, killing all on board.
The airline said the accident occurred around Bishoftu (Debre Zeit) area where it lost contact six minutes after take off.
“The Office of the PM, on behalf of the Government and people of Ethiopia, would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning,” Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali tweeted.
But the airline was more guarded in its first statement on the crash, only saying “search and rescue operations are in progress and we have no confirmed information about survivors or any possible casualties.”
“It is believed that there were 149 passengers and eight crew on board the flight but we are currently confirming the details of the passenger manifest for the flight,” the statement added.
Some of the families and friends waiting for their loved ones from Addis. Photo/NJOKI KIHIU.
Quoting Ethiopian Airlines, Fana Broadcasting Corporate said the plane, which departed the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa at 8:38 am (0538 GMT), crashed minutes after takeoff, “killing all the 149 passengers and eight crew aboard.”
Flight tracking records show that it took off at 8:38 am and was scheduled to land at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi at 10:25 am.
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