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Ethiopian jet crashes off Lebanon, 90 on board
[Al Arabiya Latest] An Ethiopian airliner transporting 90 passengers, including 54 Lebanese nationals and seven crew members crashed shortly after takeoff from Beirut International Airport early Monday, Al Arabiya reporter said. The Boeing 737 plane plunged into the Mediterranean, Al Arabiya reporter Adnan Ghalmoush said, pointing out that stormy weather might be the cause of the crash.Twenty bodies were recovered in the hours after the crash as authorities combed through the waters under gray skies, a Lebanese military official said. The cause of the crash was not immediately known, but a police official said it was likely weather-related. Beirut has seen heavy rain and lightning since Sunday. Lebanese President Michel Suleiman said that authorities had ruled out terrorism or sabotage as the cause of the crash of the jet. "Up until now we have ruled out foul play," Suleiman told reporters. Inspector! How do you do it? The Boeing 737-800 took off for the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, said Ghazi Aridi, the public works and transportation minister. "The weather undoubtedly was very bad," Aridi told reporters at the airport. He added that the plane went down about 2 miles (3.5 kilometers) off the Lebanese coast. "The control tower was assisting the pilot of the plane on takeoff and suddenly lost contact for no known reason," Aridi told reporters. Posted by: Fred 2010-01-26 |
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