All 157 people on the plane died
Seven British people are among the 157 dead after an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed shortly after take off.
Flight ET302 crashed near Bishoftu, a town 30 miles southeast of Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa.
Kenyan authorities said there were at least 35 nationalities on the plane, including Britons, Kenyans, Ethiopians, Chinese, Canadians, Americans, Italians, Indians, French and Egyptian citizens.
The British Embassy in Ethiopia tweeted: “Anyone worried that a British loved one may have been affected by the tragic crash of Ethiopian Airlines ET302 should call Ethiopian’s emergency numbers.
“You can also call the Foreign Office on +44207 008 1500 or British Embassy Addis Ababa on +251 116 170 100.”
Anyone worried that a British loved one may have been affected by the tragic crash of Ethiopian Airlines ET302 should call Ethiopian’s emergency numbers (attached). You can also call the Foreign Office on +44207 008 1500 or British Embassy Addis Ababa on +251 116 170 100 pic.twitter.com/s7XtDFRzwD
— UK in Ethiopia 🇬🇧 (@UKinEthiopia) March 10, 2019
The plane was a new Boeing 737-8 MAX and the cause of the crash is not immediately known.
32 Kenyans were killed in incident – its destination was Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. The Associated Press reports that passengers were likely on their way to a major UN environmental conference there.
UN Environment has said more than 4,700 heads of state, ministers, business leaders and others would be present at the conference. A Slovakian MP’s family were on board flight ET302 and were killed in the crash.
The Ethiopian prime minister has ordered a full air crash investigation.
PM Abiy Ahmed visited ET 302 accident site this afternoon. He expresses his profound sadness at the loss of life and wishes healing to the friends and families of the bereaved. He provided direction to ensure full and timely investigation and communication of the cause.
— Office of the Prime Minister – Ethiopia (@PMEthiopia) March 10, 2019
Ethiopian Airlines’ last deadly crash happened in 2010, when all of a plane’s 90 passengers will killed shortly after take off from Beirut.
