An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 flight to Nairobi, Kenya has crashed with 149 passengers and eight crew members aboard, the airline said.
Flight ET 302 left Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa at 8:38am and lost contact with the control tower at 8:44am, just six minutes after take-off on Sunday morning local time.
It is believed the plane crashed around Bishoftu (Debre Zeit), about 60 kilometres southeast of Addis Ababa.
In a statement, via Twitter, Ethiopian Airlines said search and rescue operations are in progress.
“We have no confirmed information about survivors or any possible casualties,” the statement said.
Accident Bulletin no. 1
Issued on march 10, 2019 at 11:00am
Ethiopian Airlines will release further information as soon as it is available. Updated information will also be on Ethiopian Airlines website at https://t.co/Je7pXoKxHh pic.twitter.com/07wKZHPVPl— Ethiopian Airlines (@flyethiopian) March 10, 2019
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed expressed his “deepest condolences” to the families of those onboard.
The Office of the PM, on behalf of the Government and people of Ethiopia, would like to express it’s 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.
— Office of the Prime Minister – Ethiopia (@PMEthiopia) March 10, 2019
More to come.
