Lebanese rescue teams Monday recovered 10 bodies from the wreckage of an Ethiopian airliner that plunged into the Mediterranean Sea minutes after takeoff in heavy rains and storms from the Beirut International Airport earlier in the day.
“We have so far found 10 bodies at the crash site off the coast of Naameh, 7 miles (12 kilometers) south of the Beirut airport,” an unidentified defense ministry official told a local news agency. (RTTNews)
An Ethiopian Airlines flight 409 with 90 people on board crashed into the sea shortly after taking off from Beirut in bad weather early on Monday.
Ethiopian Airlines chief executive Ato Girma Wake said a team of eight people from Derbyshire-based crisis management company Blake Emergency Services, which specialises in airline incidents, was travelling to Beirut.
Local media quoted Lebanese army officials as saying that seven survivors had been rescued.
However, according to other reports, police officers said there had been two survivors. The conflicting reports of survivors were not confirmed by the UN or government officials.
Confirmation of the loss of the flight came from the operator in Addis Ababa.
“Ethiopian flight ET-409 scheduled to operate from Beirut to Addis Ababa on January 25 lost contact with the Lebanese air controllers shortly after takeoff. The flight departed at 02.35 Lebanese time from Beirut International Airport,” the airline said in a statement.
The aircraft carried 51 Lebanese nationals, 23 Ethiopians, as well as Iraqi, Syrian, British,and French nationals, the minister said. One of the passengers is believed to be the wife of the French ambassador in Beirut.
Lebanon’s President Michel Suleiman described the incident as “painful”. Suleiman put all medical and security forces on maximum alert.
Lebanese army patrol boats and helicopters were searching a small area off Na’ameh, 10 km (six miles) south of Beirut.
The military spokesman for U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon, Colonel Diego Fulco, said two ships from its maritime task force were at the crash site and a third was on its way. Two U.N. helicopters were also at the scene, he said.
A Cypriot police helicopter and another from the British military stationed in Cyprus were also involved in the search.
According to one source, residents on the coast saw a “ball of fire” crashing off Na’ameh.
State-owned Ethiopian Airlines, which confirmed the crash, has positioned itself as a major player in international air traffic in Africa and has recently expanded its Asian network.
It has regular flights to Lebanon, catering for business clients and the hundreds of Ethiopians who work there as domestic helpers. Lebanese aviation sources said some of the passengers had been en route to Angola.
Last Friday the airline announced an order for 10 of Boeing’s Next-Generation 737-800s for a total price of $767 million.
The last major incident involving Ethiopian Airlines was in November 1996 when 125 of the 175 passengers and crew died after a hijacked Boeing 767 crashed into the sea off the Comoros Islands.
One airport official said the plane was struck by lightning before it fell into the sea.
The Boeing aircraft disappeared off the radar screens shortly after takeoff, the state-run Lebanese National News Agency reported.
Witnesses in the area said they heard a loud noise and then saw a plane on fire plunging into the water.
Rescue teams were seen gathering near the area where the plane reportedly crashed.
“The weather is not helping us at all,” a member of the rescue team said. “But we hope to find some survivors.”
Aridi said the crash site had been identified at 3.5 km west of the coastal village of Na’ameh.
The Boeing 737-800, heading for Addis Ababa, disappeared off the radar some five minutes after taking off at 2:37 a.m. (0037 GMT) during a thunder storm and heavy rain. Lebanese President Michel Suleiman said he did not think the plane had been brought down deliberately.
“As of now, a sabotage act is unlikely. The investigation will uncover the cause,” Suleiman told a news conference.
Eighty-three passengers and seven crew were on the flight, Lebanese Transport Minister Ghazi al-Aridi told reporters at the airport where relatives of the passengers gathered to wait for news of survivors.
“(The crash) site has been identified three-and-a-half km (two miles) west of the (coastal) village of Na’ameh,” he said.
Fifty-four of those on board were Lebanese, 22 were Ethiopian, two were British and there were also Canadian, Russian, French, Iraqi and Syrian nationals.
Marla Pietton, wife of the French ambassador to Lebanon Denis Pietton, was on the plane, the French embassy said. The Lebanese government has declared a day of mourning.
The U.K. Foreign Office said one British national and one with dual nationality were on board Flight ET409.
No further details about the two people would be released until next of kin had been informed, it added.
A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “Our thoughts are with the families of all those involved in this tragedy.”
At least 21 bodies have been recovered, and there has been no news of anyone surviving the crash.
An RAF helicopter, based in Cyprus, has joined the Lebanese authorities’ search-and-rescue operation.
(Source: Reuters, AP, IANS, BBC)
9 thoughts on “Rescue teams search for survivors in Ethiopian plane crash (video)”
I am very sorry to hear such a BAD news.
God Bless Ethiopia!!!
Today is very Sad and Bad day for me and all of Ethiopian and …… God give rest and peace for all.
this is so sad news,
I would like to start by saying a silent prayer for the victims and Crew of ET 409 may god rest their souls. I am not a disgruntled Pilot or seeking revenge. This is what was waiting to happen to Ethiopian Airlines in the shadows. As they say it ‘Yetatekut Suri Sirotu yefeal” . Ethiopian airlines is led by a so called COO who is incapable , corny appointed , no credential , severe lack of experience and no knowledge of the aviation or flying side of the business.
These individuals and his cronies who he has appointed by eliminating anybody that is against his philosophy or anyone who he thinks is blocking his path to his final frontier to become the CEO of the Airline by replacing the ageing legendary and visionary Ato Girma Wake. This man or so called C.O.O has bent the rules by allowing or intimidating pilots to fly beyond regulation allowed hours, a pilot body working like salves with no collective agreement, Glorifying and talking in public about pilots that he personally has intimidated to violate flight and duty times, scolding and degrading staff in public and the list goes on. If employees were given the right to talk without repercussion today this man will be sent to jail for life for his crimes. Who is this man?? From what I have discovered before I left the airline: that he brags of a degree that he obtained thru on line correspondence while he was the area manager in New York. There are eye witnesses that testify his degrees are plagiarized and someone had to take the entire test and classes for him. He has no experience as COO or running neither flight department nor M&E etc… He is the head and decision maker in these departments. He has made comments to the media out of his no knowledge capacity that disgraces the pilots of Ethiopian Airlines. This man is pushing Department heads of the Flt operations to upgrade pilots without proper qualifications. An example is: a Pilot to be upgraded needs 9 to 10 hours of training in the simulator other than the CBT and ground school he or she takes according to the regulation. But this man has pushed department heads to give incapable and not ready Pilot candidates to upgrade by allowing or forcing to give those additional hours to some up to 30 hours to prepare them for command ship. His expansion vision that he brags about does not have substance. As pilots’ are intimidated to fly over 100 hours where regulation states 70 to 80 hours is ample. Pilots are intimidated and warned of losing their jobs if they ask for vacation. He forces pilots to take money instead of their hard earned and well deserved vacation time. I had an accumulated vacation time of 6 years that I could not take. Every time I asked as was told which I know it came directly from him that I am not a team player and I should expect repercussion in the future.. The list goes on. If you think I am fabricating these story please talk discretely to some of the pilots and you will hear all the horror stories since this guy took office. For your information most of the pilots are flying hoping they will get my kind of opportunity one day. It is not that we hate our Airline or don’t care for its growth; it is just that this man is making all Ethiopian Airlines employees life hell on earth with his cronies.
Supply and demand of Pilots and leased airplanes:
He brags about the expansion plan he has drafted which is the result what just occurred yesterday. Pilots are flying tired and fatigues. An Ethiopian Airlines had a recent incident were both crew members fall asleep and flew into Italian airspace without clearance because of severe lack of sleep and rest time . He is buying and leasing Airplanes that should not fly because of wear and tear previous mechanical problems etc… His only vision of expansion as I said has no substance because he has no plans how he is going to fill all the slots with pilots. He is constantly advertising for pilots which I don’t have any objection if it helps the Airline grow. But most of them are leaving after 4 to 5 month service because they could not stand his heat or working condition. He is hoping by this dangerous vision he will have the vote of confidence to gain the CEO position once the current leader leaves. I can only say once this happens Ethiopian Airlines might as well expect tragedies after tragedy. I hope and pray that does not happen, just for the sake of this conglomerate Airline with its great safety records and for the sake of the pilots and x ET employees and current employees.
Pilot’s grief and mishandling:
Pilots and cabin Crew members are voicing their grief when we see them on their stop over abroad. Our heart sinks with sorrow when we hear their stories. How some of them have not seen their family or children for days. How some of them fear for their jobs as they are intimidated day in day out by this person’s cronies. Let all Ethiopians be aware that I love my Airline and will go back to fly for Ethiopian in a heartbeat. I have plenty of years left. I am out here flying for a foreign Airline because of the mishandling and violation of Pilots rights. I am sure he might argue saying he is paying pilots more than anybody in the country. Bloggers they deserve every penny they get. They are still under paid. He is hiring foreign pilots way more than what he pays the locals. All the pilots know his deed but the saddest thing is they don’t have anywhere to go. He has blocked their license or will not allow them to resign. He will ask them to fork their training sometimes up to $500, 000 Birr plus he threatens them that he will have all the property and their parents or relatives property confiscated if they don’t pay and so on. I will write next time how I left. It was the saddest day in my life to leave my Airline but I had to as so many are waiting in the shadows to-do the same.
Bloggers again I am not a disgruntled former employee I am just voicing my opinion and hope fully I am been the voice of so many that are suffocating and still flying because they don’t have no choice. I pray for the Crew and passengers that perished on ET flight 409. But I will say it again this was looming in the shadows to happen. I hope this will be the end of it and Ethiopian will have a capable and experienced individual to run as COO who has authority over the Flight operations department again. Long live Ethiopian Airlines and the staff that are tirelessly fighting for its survival and God Bless Ethiopia.
XET pilot
Dear XET Pilot,
I dont think your comment has anything to do with today’s accident. It seemed as if you were praying for such an accident to occur just as a revenge for your issues with one person.
Selam hun.
The illegeal controband unregistered items put on these planes makes the plane carry more weight than the actual standard set by the plane manufacturers. In addition to the fact that the pilots are over worked , most planes are overloaded which is thge main cause for deteriorateing of the planes.The Siya Abraha adminstration installed corrupt , unprofessional and with no work ethics gangsters from top positions to bottom in EAL .The EAL management practice has been clearly designed to benefit few individuals at the coost of the whole country’s economy.The customs and luggage handling ring abuses the planes , customers properties , rules and regulation to get money and management looks the other way.
The above story sounds to be true. The Ethiopian government should pay a close attention to Eth airlines operations. An operations manager should have a pilot’s credential. You can save more lives if you make the head of surgeons another surgeon than an administrator with just an MBA. Same here, Eth. needs to think about this. The government should be serious.
First my deepest Sympathy to all crew and passengers’ family and friends of the ET Flight that crushed in Beirut.
X ET Piolt: I can’t agree more to what you have said. There is lack of control from Central Govt on how some of the officials run day to day business in Ethiopian Airlines. It’s no secret to what is happening to all crew of Ethiopian Airlines whether it be a Pilot or a Crew member.
From my understanding, some of the things that go on within the Airline with full notice of some govt officials. But, unless the PM Office does some drastic action to these cadres, there won’t be any change.
Ethiopian Airlines is known for its safety record, and as an Ethiopian I am proud to say that I have great if not excellent Airlines in the world.
Therefore, before we lose more lives and more experienced and educated Pilots and crew members, one has to take that drastic action in cleaning up the airline once and for all. The Airline is very profitable and respected Airline in Africa, but it will on sustain this reputation for so long before we see disaster.
MISMANAGEMNET CAN BE THE ONLY CAUSE TO ANY ORGANISATION FAILURE. People can work as hard as they want, but if management is failing, the whole organisation will fail.
Once again may those souls who perish in that sea rest in peace.
Dear Metesinot,
One ill fated ,incapable and ignorant leadership of one man could ruin a lot. I am pointing out the lack of leadreship and know how nothing else. If you are related to the person my apologies.