Ethiopian Airlines plane on its way to Nairobi crashes with 157 people on board
- The plane was flying from Ethiopia to Nairobi when it came down on Sunday
- It is not clear whether there are any survivors from Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737
- Flight ET302 took off from Ethiopia on Sunday morning at 8.38am local time
An Ethiopian Airlines plane has crashed with 149 passengers and 8 crew onboard, minutes after take-off.
The plane heading to Nairobi is left Ethiopia earlier this morning but according to reports came down within six minutes.
A spokesman for the airline confirmed the plane had crashed while heading from Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. It was due to land at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at around 10.25am.
The airline’s statement said: ‘At this time search and rescue operations are in progress and we have no information about survivors or any possible casualties.’
The state-owned Ethiopian Airlines calls itself Africa’s largest carrier and has ambitions of becoming the gateway to the continent.
An Ethiopian Airports fire engine rushes to the scene of the crash on Sunday morning
The plane had been heading towards Nairobi when it came down in Ethiopia
The plane had reportedly travelled for six minutes when it came down to the ground
Ethiopian Airlines hopes to become the most prominent airline on the continent. Pictured: A man looks at his phone outside the Ethiopian Airlines offices in downtown Nairobi, Kenya
The plane, a 737 MAX 8, is believed to be a new addition to the EA fleet having been delivered just months ago. It is also the same model as the Lion Air plane which crashed in Indonesia in October.
The Ethiopian prime minister’s official Twitter account on Sunday sent condolences to families of those onboard without giving details over whether there are any survivors.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Twitter said: ‘The office of the PM, on behalf of government and people of Ethiopia, would like to express it’s deepest condolences to the families that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning.’
Flights out of Addis Ababa were delayed or cancelled on Sunday morning, it has been reported.
The Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 went down within six minutes of take-off this morning (pictured: stock image)