Last Updated Sunday, March 10, 2019 2:01PM EDTThe United Nations secretary-general says he is "deeply saddened" by the Ethiopian Airlines crash outside Addis Ababa and sends his sympathies to families of the victims, who include UN staff members.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's office says the cause of the crash will be "communicated promptly to the public as updates come in." UNICEF Italia sent a tweet of condolences over Dieci's death. It noted that CISP was a UNICEF partner in Kenya, Libya and Algeria. The plane was destined for the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, but crashed minutes after takeoff Sunday in Addis Ababa.
British ambassador to Ethiopia Alastair McPhail says in a video posted by the Foreign Office that embassy staff is working to get details.McPhail expressed condolences to the victims and urged people worried about loved ones to follow the Foreign Office's social media channels.Austrian media report that three local doctors were among the passengers on board an Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed near Addis Ababa shortly after taking off for Nairobi.
President Andrej Kiska offered his condolences to Hrnko and the relatives of the fourth Slovak victim.The mayor of the northern Italian city of Bergamo says three members of a local humanitarian organization, Africa Tremila, were aboard the Ethiopian Airlines jet that crashed after takeoff, killing all aboard.
A new statement by the airline also says families of the 157 victims have been contacted and that remains will be returned to them once identified. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier likewise issued statements of condolence.6:20 p.m. It is not yet clear what caused the crash. The jetliner, a new Boeing 737-8 MAX, showed unstable vertical speed after takeoff, air traffic monitor Flightradar 24 said in a Twitter post.Ethiopian Airlines has issued a new list of crash victims that now includes German, Austrian, Russian, Swedish, Spanish, Israeli citizens and others.
Netanyahu's office said he spoke with Israeli envoys who briefed him with details. Netanyahu says in a statement that "our hearts go out to their families."Meanwhile, Slovakia's foreign ministry confirms authorities' earlier reports that four Slovak nationals were killed.
And they fly to Toronto? !!!
So very very sad. I hope they didn't know they were going to crash. Condolences to all families mourning.
Heartbreaking