Ethiopian Airlines launches probe after deadly crash

Rescue team carry collected bodies in bags at the crash site of Ethiopia Airlines near Bishoftu, a town some 60 kilometres southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on March 10, 2019. PHOTO | MICHAEL TEWELDE | AFP

What you need to know:

  • Airline says it teaming up with Ethiopia Civil Aviation Authority and Ethiopian Transport Authority to investigate the crash.

Ethiopian Airlines says it has contacted families of the 157 victims of plane crash at Bishoftu to inform them of the “tragic accident.”

In a press statement on its Twitter handle released on Sunday, the airline said it is teaming up with Ethiopia Civil Aviation Authority and Ethiopian Transport Authority to investigate the crash.

A team has also been formed to identify the bodies and deliver them to kin.

“Investigation will be carried out to determine the cause of the accident, in collaboration with all the stakeholders, including the aircraft manufacturer Boeing and other international entities.

After the crash Boeing said it was “saddened" by the deaths occasioned by the plane crash.

The airplane manufacturer said it will dispatch a team to the crash site to provide technical assistance under the direction of Ethiopian authorities and the US National Transport Safety Board.