On Sunday morning, a new Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed, leaving no survivor out of 157 people. The plane was on the route to Nairobi from Addis Ababa.
The aircraft, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, took off at 08:38am (05:38 GMT) and lost contact with air traffic controllers six minutes later of its take off. The plane turned over into a field just 60 kilometres (37 miles) southeast of Addis Ababa. The total number of 157 passengers was from 32 different countries. The carrier’s CEO Tewolde GebreMariam told journalists in the capital that this is the “very sad and tragic day.”
Ethiopian Airlines Black Box Recovered After Crash That Killed 157
Four Indians, as well as a UN consultant involved with the Environment Ministry, were among those who got killed Ethiopian Airlines plane crash, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said Sunday.
Swaraj took twitter to express his condolence, he tweeted, “I am sorry to know about the unfortunate crash of Ethiopian Airlines plane ET 302. We have lost four Indian nationals in the air crash. I have asked Indian High Commissioner in Ethiopia to provide all help and assistance to the bereaved families”.
State-owned Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest carrier, said that the unfortunate Boeing 737-800MAX had taken off at 8:38 am (local time) from Bole International Airport and just after its take off they lost their contact six minutes later.
The plane was scheduled to land in Nairobi at 10:25 am (0725 GMT) but instead of that it came down near the village of Tulu Fara outside Bishoftu.
As per the report, at the crash site there was a huge crater with possessions and airplane parts scattered widely. The rescue teams were recovering human remains from the wreckage.
Ethiopian Airlines also officially confirmed that “there are no survivors.” After few minutes of the crash, the police as well as the troops reached on the crash scene. The crash investigation team from Ethiopia’s civil aviation agency was also called up who reached the site for further investigation.
When the investigation was started, the family members, friends, and colleagues of travellers in the Kenyan capital were anxiously waiting for news at the airport.
Ethiopian Airlines in its initial report said that Kenya had the largest number of casualties with the number of 32, followed by Canada with 18 casualties, then Ethiopia with nine and then Italy, China, and the United States with eight each.
The passengers of Britain and France had seven people each on board, Egypt with six, the Netherlands with five and India with four and the other four were UN passport-holders. The total number of eleven countries in Africa and 13 in Europe had inhabitants among the victims.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s office tweeted it “would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones.” While on the other hand, African Union commission Chief Moussa Faki Mahamat said he had heard of the crash “with utter shock and immense sadness”.
Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta said he was disappointed by the news of the crash. Mahboub Maalim, executive secretary of the IGAD East African bloc, said the county and the world were in grief.
Maalim said in a statement, “I cannot seem to find words comforting enough to the families and friends of those who might have lost their lives in this tragedy”.
The CEO answered when he was asked if the pilot had made any distress call, he said, “the pilot mentioned that he had difficulties and he wants to return. He was given clearance” to turn around.
The makers of the plane, US giant Boeing, said it was “deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the passengers and crew on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a 737 MAX 8 airplane. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of the passengers and crew on board and stand ready to support the Ethiopian Airlines team.”
