Ethiopian Airlines flight crashes after takeoff; no survivors

ADDIS ABABA – An Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed shortly after takeoff from Ethiopia’s capital yesterday, killing all 157 people thought to be on board, the airline and state broadcaster said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash of the Boeing 737-8 MAX plane, which was new and had been delivered to the airline in November, records show.

The state-owned Ethiopian Airlines, widely considered the best-managed airline in Africa, calls itself Africa’s largest carrier and has ambitions of becoming the gateway to the continent.

Its statement said 149 passengers and eight crew members were thought to be on the plane that crashed six minutes after departing Addis Ababa on its way to Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. The crash occurred around Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, some 50 kilometers south of Addis Ababa, at 8:44 a.m.

The plane showed unstable vertical speed after takeoff, air traffic monitor Flightradar 24 said in a Twitter post. Visibility appeared to be clear.

State broadcaster ­­ reported all passengers were dead and that the passengers included 33 nationalities. An Ethiopian Airlines spokesman said 32 Kenyans and 17 Ethiopians were among the victims.

Grieving family members gathered at Bole Airport. A statement by the Ethiopian prime minister’s office offered its “deepest condolences” to families.

Kenya’s transport minister, James Macharia, told reporters that authorities had not yet received the passenger manifest. He said an emergency response had been set up for family and friends.

“My prayers go to all the families and associates of those on board,” Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta said, as many Kenyans braced for the worst.