Let us keep our Ethiopian sisters&brothers in our thoughts

[Nshaba]

Dear Zambia,


Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 crashes near Addis Ababa

By Robyn Kriel and Tara John, CNN

Updated at 5:23 AM ET, Sun March 10, 2019

An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 heading to the Kenyan capital Nairobi has crashed near Addis Ababa, the airline said on Sunday morning.

The plane, a Boeing 737-800MAX with flight number ET 302, lost contact soon after taking off at 08:38 am local time from Bole International Airport in the Ethiopian capital, the airline said in a statement.

The aircraft went down around around Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa. The airline believes there were 149 passengers and eight crew members on board.

"At this time search and rescue operations are in progress and we have no confirmed information about survivors or any possible causalities."

"Ethiopian Airlines staff will be sent to the accident scene and will do everything possible to assist the emergency services," the airline added.

The airline added that a passenger information center and hotline "will be available shortly for family or friends of those who may have been on flight."

The Ethiopian government expressed 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," the office of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Twitter.

Ethiopia Airlines has gained the reputation of being one of the best airlines in Africa. It has a good safety record and the newest fleet of planes on the African continent, according to its website.

[update]

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (CNN)

All 157 people on board an Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed soon after taking off from Addis Ababa have been killed, the airline said on Sunday morning.

The plane, en route to Nairobi, Kenya, lost contact at 08.44 am local time, six minutes after taking off from Bole International Airport in the Ethiopian capital.

The aircraft, flight number ET 302, went down near Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa. An airline spokesperson told CNN the victims were of 32 different nationalities. Eight Chinese passengers were on board, said Li Liang, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy to Ethiopia.

"The group CEO who is at the accident scene right now regrets to confirm that there are no survivors," Ethiopian Airlines wrote on Twitter. "He expresses his profound sympathy and condolences to the families and loved ones of passengers and crew who lost their lives in this tragic accident."

The airline said in an earlier statement that staff would "be sent to the accident scene and will do everything possible to assist the emergency services."