An Ethiopian Airlines flight to Nairobi crashed on Sunday, March 10, with 149 passengers and eight crew members aboard, according to the air carrier.
“It is confirmed it happened 8:44 am,” said the airline spokesman
The Boeing 737 passenger jet was heading from the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa to Kenya’s capital city of Nairobi.
Flight ET302 departed Addis Ababa Bole International Airport at 8.38 a.m. local time, crashing shortly after take-off.
“The aircraft B-737-800MAX with registration number ET-AVJ took off at 8:38 a.m. local time from Addis Ababa, Bole International Airport and lost contact at 8:44 a.m.,” the airline said in a statement.
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed expressed his “deepest condolences” on Twitter.
“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 that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning.”
The airline said in the statement that search and rescue operations were underway near the crash site around the town of Bishoftu.
No information was given on the number of casualties, but the airline said, “it is believed that there were 149 passengers and 8 crew onboard the flight.” Officials added that the details of the flight manifest were being reviewed and that more information would be released when available.
“Ethiopian Airlines staff will be sent to the accident scene and will do everything possible to assist the emergency services,” the statement added.
The state-owned Ethiopian Airlines calls itself Africa’s largest carrier and has ambitions of becoming the gateway to the continent.