Ethiopian Airlines jet crashes into sea off Beirut

[xxMATTGxx]

An Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane with 89 people on board has crashed into the Mediterranean Sea shortly after take-off from Beirut airport.

Eyewitnesses say they saw a ball of fire in the sky before the Addis Ababa-bound jet crashed into the sea.

Wreckage from the plane has been seen off the Lebanese coast.

Most of the those on board Flight ET409 were Lebanese and Ethiopian nationals. Two Britons were also on the passenger list, officials said.

The other passengers included citizens of Turkey, France, Russia, Canada, Syria and Iraq, Ethiopian Airlines said in a statement on its website.

Among them was the wife of the French ambassador in Beirut, Marla Pietton.

The plane, a Boeing 737, was carrying 80 passengers and nine crew.

It disappeared from radar screens some five minutes after take-off in stormy weather at about 0200 local time.

The BBC's Natalia Antelava, in Beirut, reports that the Lebanese transport minister and other officials say a rescue operation including helicopters and naval ships is now under way, but it is unclear if there are any survivors.

An investigative team has been dispatched to the scene, Ethiopian Airlines said.

The cause of the crash was not immediately clear, but the plane took off in a heavy rainstorm.

Ethiopia and Lebanon share close business ties, and thousands of Ethiopians are employed as domestic helpers in Lebanon.

Ethiopian Airlines operates a regular flight between Addis Ababa from Beirut.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/8478060.stm

Sad news, I hope everyone is ok.

[::Art::]

fingers crossed every1 ok

[Fifteen]

Hope everyone is okay, rescue team are finding it hard due to the stormy weather.

[xxMATTGxx]

"Boeing confirms the crashed Ethiopian Airlines plane is a 737-800 built in 2002"

Apparently some survivors have been found.

[Black_Apalachi]

Hope there are no fatalities :/

[cocaine]

pretty new and modern airplane as well, the weather must have been very severe for it to even affect that type of airplane

[xxMATTGxx]

pretty new and modern airplane as well, the weather must have been very severe for it to even affect that type of airplane

Agreed.

"Update: Ethiopian jet crash deaths rise as 34 bodies found. U.S. Navy to aid in search and rescue -NBC News"

BBC News: At least 21 bodies have been found, and the airline's chief executive said there was no word of survivors.

[Tash.]

Yeah i've read that they haven't found a single person alive from this, unlikely considering reports that it went down in a ball of fire.. terrible thing to have happened.