Ethiopian plane crashes off Beirut, 14 bodies found

An Ethiopian Airlines even with 90 bodies on lath comatose into the sea anon afterwards demography off from Beirut in bitter acclimate aboriginal on Monday and the airline's arch controlling said there was no chat of survivors.The Boeing 737-800, branch for Addis Ababa, abolished off the alarm some bristles account afterwards demography off at 2:37 a.m. (0037 GMT) during a barrage storm and abundant rain. Lebanese President Michel Suleiman said he did not anticipate the even had been brought bottomward deliberately.

"As of now, a demolition act is unlikely. The analysis will bare the cause," Suleiman told a account conference.

Fourteen bodies accept so far been recovered abreast the blast armpit three-and-a-half km (two miles) west of the littoral apple of Na'ameh. Eighty-three cartage and seven aggregation were on the flight, Transport Minister Ghazi al-Aridi said at the airport.Ethiopian Airlines CEO Girma Wake said he had appear with Lebanese authorities who did not affirm there were survivors.

The Lebanese government declared a day of mourning. Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri visited the airport to accommodated addled ancestors cat-and-mouse for account of survivors, some of whom were affronted that the even was accustomed to booty off in bad weather."They should accept delayed the flight for an hour or two to assure the passengers. There had been able lightning bolts and we apprehend that lighting strikes at planes abnormally during booty offs," a about of one of the cartage told a bounded television station.

"BALL OF FIRE"

Lebanese army convoying boats and helicopters were analytic a baby breadth off Na'ameh, 10 km (six miles) south of Beirut.The aggressive agent for U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon, Colonel Diego Fulco, said two ships from its amphibian assignment force were at the blast armpit and a third was on its way. Two U.N. helicopters were additionally at the scene, he said.

State-owned Ethiopian Airlines has positioned itself as a above amateur in all-embracing air cartage in Africa and has afresh broadcast its Asian network.It has approved flights to Lebanon, accouterment for business audience and the hundreds of Ethiopians who assignment there as calm helpers. Lebanese aerodynamics sources said some of the cartage had been en avenue to Angola.

Last Friday the airline appear an adjustment for 10 of Boeing's Next-Generation 737-800s for a absolute amount of $767 million.The aftermost above adventure involving Ethiopian Airlines was in November 1996 back 125 of the 175 cartage and aggregation died afterwards a hijacked Boeing 767 comatose into the sea off the Comoros Islands.