Plane hits sea in Beirut; 90 on board
Source: Agencies |
January 26, 2010, Tuesday
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Print Edition
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AN Ethiopian Airlines plane carrying 90 people caught fire and crashed into the sea minutes after taking off from Beirut early yesterday, setting off a frantic search as passenger seats, baby sandals and other debris washed ashore. At least 34 bodies were recovered.
The cause of the crash was not immediately known. Lebanon has seen stormy weather since Sunday night, with crackling thunder, lightning and rain.
"We saw fire falling down from the sky into the sea," said Khaled Naser, a gas station attendant who saw the plane go down around 2:30am, crashing into the frigid waters of the Mediterranean that had reached just 18 degrees Celsius by yesterday afternoon.
Lebanese President Michel Suleiman said terrorism was not suspected in the crash of Flight 409, which was headed for the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
"Sabotage is ruled out as of now," he said.
Weeping relatives streamed into Beirut's airport to wait for news on their loved ones. One woman dropped to her knees in tears; another cried out, "Where is my son?"
Andree Qusayfi said his 35-year-old brother, Ziad, was traveling to Ethiopia for his job at a computer company, but was soon planning to return to Lebanon for good.
"We begged him to postpone his flight because of the storm," Qusayfi said, his eyes red from crying. "But he insisted on going because he had work appointments."
Zeinab Seklawi said her 24-year-old son Yasser called her as he was boarding. "I told him, 'God be with you,' and I went to sleep," Seklawi said. "Please find my son. I know he's alive and wouldn't leave me."
The dead include several children. The wife of Denis Pietton, the French ambassador to Lebanon, was on the plane, said the French Embassy.
The Boeing 737-800 took off around 2:30am and went down 3.5 kilometers off the coast, said Ghazi Aridi, the public works and transportation minister.
"The weather undoubtedly was very bad," Aridi told reporters.
Helicopters and naval ships were scrambled for a rescue effort as waves reaching a half-meter slammed into the shore. Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced a day of mourning and closed schools and government offices.
Ethiopian Airlines' CEO Girma Wake told journalists in Addis Ababa that he had no information on the fate of those on board or about the cause of the crash. He said the aircraft had been serviced on December 25 and passed inspection.
He also said the plane had been leased in September from New York-based CIT Aerospace. CIT spokesman declined to comment.
The plane was carrying 83 passengers and 7 crew, Lebanese officials said. Aridi, the transportation minister, identified the passengers as 54 Lebanese, 22 Ethiopians, one Iraqi, one Syrian, one Canadian of Lebanese origin, one Russian of Lebanese origin, a French woman and two Britons of Lebanese origin.
The Boeing 737 is considered one of the safest planes in airline service.
The cause of the crash was not immediately known. Lebanon has seen stormy weather since Sunday night, with crackling thunder, lightning and rain.
"We saw fire falling down from the sky into the sea," said Khaled Naser, a gas station attendant who saw the plane go down around 2:30am, crashing into the frigid waters of the Mediterranean that had reached just 18 degrees Celsius by yesterday afternoon.
Lebanese President Michel Suleiman said terrorism was not suspected in the crash of Flight 409, which was headed for the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
"Sabotage is ruled out as of now," he said.
Weeping relatives streamed into Beirut's airport to wait for news on their loved ones. One woman dropped to her knees in tears; another cried out, "Where is my son?"
Andree Qusayfi said his 35-year-old brother, Ziad, was traveling to Ethiopia for his job at a computer company, but was soon planning to return to Lebanon for good.
"We begged him to postpone his flight because of the storm," Qusayfi said, his eyes red from crying. "But he insisted on going because he had work appointments."
Zeinab Seklawi said her 24-year-old son Yasser called her as he was boarding. "I told him, 'God be with you,' and I went to sleep," Seklawi said. "Please find my son. I know he's alive and wouldn't leave me."
The dead include several children. The wife of Denis Pietton, the French ambassador to Lebanon, was on the plane, said the French Embassy.
The Boeing 737-800 took off around 2:30am and went down 3.5 kilometers off the coast, said Ghazi Aridi, the public works and transportation minister.
"The weather undoubtedly was very bad," Aridi told reporters.
Helicopters and naval ships were scrambled for a rescue effort as waves reaching a half-meter slammed into the shore. Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced a day of mourning and closed schools and government offices.
Ethiopian Airlines' CEO Girma Wake told journalists in Addis Ababa that he had no information on the fate of those on board or about the cause of the crash. He said the aircraft had been serviced on December 25 and passed inspection.
He also said the plane had been leased in September from New York-based CIT Aerospace. CIT spokesman declined to comment.
The plane was carrying 83 passengers and 7 crew, Lebanese officials said. Aridi, the transportation minister, identified the passengers as 54 Lebanese, 22 Ethiopians, one Iraqi, one Syrian, one Canadian of Lebanese origin, one Russian of Lebanese origin, a French woman and two Britons of Lebanese origin.
The Boeing 737 is considered one of the safest planes in airline service.
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