A woman collapses in despair at Beirut airport upon news that a relative was aboard the plane. 
On board: Denis Pietton the French ambassador to Lebanon and his wife Marla Sanchez who was on the flight.
On board: Denis Pietton the French ambassador to Lebanon and his wife Marla Sanchez who was on the flight.Day of mourning: Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri arrives at the Rafiq Hariri International Airport in Beirut 
Rescue: Lebanese Red Cross workers move a body retrieved from the sea
Lebanese President Michel Suleiman said terrorism was not suspected in the crash of Flight 409, which was headed for the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
‘Sabotage is ruled out as of now,’ he said.
Ethiopian Airlines chief executive Girma Wake said it was thought all passengers were killed in the incident.
'I have contact with the Lebanese authorities, who have not yet confirmed any survivors,' he said.
Lebanon's transportation minister Ghazi Aridi said two Britons of Lebanese origin were among the passengers, with the rest being mainly Lebanese and Ethiopian.
Several children and Marla Sanchez, the wife of Denis Pietton, the French ambassador to Lebanon, were also on board.
Lebanese President Michel Suleiman said terrorism was not suspected in the crash of Flight 409, which was headed for the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
‘Sabotage is ruled out as of now,’ he said.
Ethiopian Airlines chief executive Girma Wake said it was thought all passengers were killed in the incident.
'I have contact with the Lebanese authorities, who have not yet confirmed any survivors,' he said.
Lebanon's transportation minister Ghazi Aridi said two Britons of Lebanese origin were among the passengers, with the rest being mainly Lebanese and Ethiopian.
Several children and Marla Sanchez, the wife of Denis Pietton, the French ambassador to Lebanon, were also on board.
Lebanese soldiers gather debris washed up from the Ethiopian Airlines crash. 
A Lebanese commando pulls a body from the water into a helicopter above the area where the plane crashed. We begged him to postpone his flight because of the storm,’ Qusayfi said. ‘But he insisted on going because he had work appointments.’
Zeinab Seklawi said her 24-year-old son Yasser called her as he was boarding.
'I told him, “God be with you,” and I went to sleep,’ she said.
The Boeing 737-800 took off from Beirut at around 2.30am local time (12.30am GMT) when heavy rain and lightning had been reported in the area.
A Lebanese commando pulls a body from the water into a helicopter above the area where the plane crashed. We begged him to postpone his flight because of the storm,’ Qusayfi said. ‘But he insisted on going because he had work appointments.’Zeinab Seklawi said her 24-year-old son Yasser called her as he was boarding.
'I told him, “God be with you,” and I went to sleep,’ she said.
The Boeing 737-800 took off from Beirut at around 2.30am local time (12.30am GMT) when heavy rain and lightning had been reported in the area.
Distraught relatives arrive at Beirut airport - some questioned why the plane took off in bad weather
Relatives were ushered to a VIP area of the airport to anxiously wait for news of their loved ones
The Lebanese army said in a statement the plane was ‘on fire shortly after takeoff’.
One eye witness described the inferno as the plane burst into flames.
'At about 2.30am there was big ball of fire it was as big as a tent. I watched it fall into the sea between these two buildings, it landed in the sea perhaps about one kilometre from here,’ he said.
Pieces of the plane and debris were washing ashore in the hours after the crash, including passenger seats, a baby sandal, a fire extinguisher and bottles of medicine.
Helicopters and naval ships scoured the choppy waters in search of the plane, which was carrying 83 passengers and seven crew.
The Lebanese army said in a statement the plane was ‘on fire shortly after takeoff’.
One eye witness described the inferno as the plane burst into flames.
'At about 2.30am there was big ball of fire it was as big as a tent. I watched it fall into the sea between these two buildings, it landed in the sea perhaps about one kilometre from here,’ he said.
Pieces of the plane and debris were washing ashore in the hours after the crash, including passenger seats, a baby sandal, a fire extinguisher and bottles of medicine.
Helicopters and naval ships scoured the choppy waters in search of the plane, which was carrying 83 passengers and seven crew.
A Lebanese soldier carries remains of the Ethiopian Airlines plane on the beach this morning 
An ambulance, centre, rushes to Beirut airport amid reports all 90 people on board the Ethiopian flight are dead
Ethiopian Airlines said on its website: 'A team is already working on gathering all pertinent information.
'An investigative team has already been dispatched to the scene and we will release further information as further updates are received.'
The state-owned airline has positioned itself as a major player in international air traffic in Africa and has recently expanded its Asian network.
Last Friday it announced an order for 10 of Boeing's Next-Generation 737-800s for a total price of £475million.
The airline has long had a reputation for high-quality service compared with other African airlines, with two notable crashes in more than 20 years.
A hijacked Ethiopian Airlines jet crash-landed off the Comoros Islands in the Indian Ocean when it ran out of fuel in November 1996, killing 126 of the 175 people on board.
The plane had just left Addis Ababa when three hijackers stormed the cockpit and demanded to be taken to Australia.
In September 1988, an Ethiopian Airlines jet crashed shortly after taking off when it ran into a flock of birds, killing 31 of the 104 people on board.
First introduced in the 1960s, the Boeing 737 is considered one of the safest planes in airline service.
Ethiopian Airlines said on its website: 'A team is already working on gathering all pertinent information.
'An investigative team has already been dispatched to the scene and we will release further information as further updates are received.'
The state-owned airline has positioned itself as a major player in international air traffic in Africa and has recently expanded its Asian network.
Last Friday it announced an order for 10 of Boeing's Next-Generation 737-800s for a total price of £475million.
The airline has long had a reputation for high-quality service compared with other African airlines, with two notable crashes in more than 20 years.
A hijacked Ethiopian Airlines jet crash-landed off the Comoros Islands in the Indian Ocean when it ran out of fuel in November 1996, killing 126 of the 175 people on board.
The plane had just left Addis Ababa when three hijackers stormed the cockpit and demanded to be taken to Australia.
In September 1988, an Ethiopian Airlines jet crashed shortly after taking off when it ran into a flock of birds, killing 31 of the 104 people on board.
First introduced in the 1960s, the Boeing 737 is considered one of the safest planes in airline service.
0 comments:
Post a Comment