ETHIOPIA: Search for doomed Ethiopian jet victims

Record ID: 382233

  • Title: ETHIOPIA: Search for doomed Ethiopian jet victims
  • Date: 27th January 2010
  • Summary: MAN SELLING NEWSPAPERS (SOUNDBITE) (Amharic) UNNAMED ADDIS ABABA RESIDENT, SAYING: "When I heard about the plane crash I was really shocked and sad, I am very sorry for their families I pray that God gives them strength." PEOPLE WALKING ON STREET
  • Embargoed: 11th February 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Ethiopia
  • Country: Ethiopia
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
  • Reuters ID: LVA26ASQXQ813SD0M920WUN3COD3
  • Story Text: Questions asked after Ethiopian Airlines plane crashes in Mediterranean Sea shortly after take-off with 90 on board.
    Flags are flying at half mast in Ethiopia as the victims of a mystery plane crash are mourned.
    All 83 passengers and seven crew are feared dead after the Boeing 737 crashed in the Mediterranean Sea shortly after take off from Beirut international airport on Monday (January 25).
    An air and sea search was immediately set in operation but there's been no sign of any survivors.
    Flight ET409, a Boeing 737-800 heading for Addis Ababa, disappeared off the radar five minutes after taking off at 2:37 a.m. (0037 GMT) on Monday morning.
    On the streets of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, residents crowded newspaper stands to read the news and try to understand what might have happened.
    Twenty-four bodies, including those of two toddlers, had been recovered. At least six of the bodies recovered were Ethiopians, officials said.
    A U.S. Navy ship with advanced equipment arrived in Lebanon to aid in the night search.
    Mangled debris, aircraft seats and luggage washed up on the shore south of Beirut near the airport's main runway.
    Fifty-four of those on board were Lebanese, 22 were Ethiopian, two were British and there also were Canadian, Russian, French, Iraqi, Syrian, and Turkish nationals.
    Ethiopian government declared all the flags to fly at half mast.
    State-owned Ethiopian Airlines has positioned itself as a major player in international air traffic in Africa and has recently expanded its Asian network.
    Only last Friday the airline announced an order for 10 of Boeing 737-800s for $767 million.
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