Ethiopian Airlines Jet Crashes Into Sea

25 January 2010
allAfrica.com

An Ethiopian Airlines jet has crashed into the Mediterranean Sea shortly after take-off in stormy weather from Beirut airport, according to news reports on Monday.

The BBC said there were 83 passengers and nine crew aboard the plane. Most of those on Flight ET409 were Lebanese and Ethiopian nationals bound for the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, the report said.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing a ball of fire before the jet fell from the sky. The plane's wreckage has been found and search and rescue operations were underway, according to Reuters news agency. It was not immediately clear if there were any survivors.

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