Victims from 35 countries: Ethiopian plane crash becomes international tragedy
The Ethiopian Airlines plane crash was truly an international tragedy as the victims came from many countries, most of them Kenya.
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Rescue workers collected the bodies, wrapped them in plastic bags and transported them away. Photo:Reuters. |
The Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 carrying 149 passengers and 8 crew members crashed just 6 minutes after taking off nearly 50 km from the capital Addis Ababa on the morning of March 10.
Those killed on the ill-fated flight came from 35 countries, according toCNN. Cedric Asiavugwa, a third-year student at Georgetown Law School, was one of the 32 Kenyan victims. He was on his way to Nairobi to attend the funeral of his fiancée's mother.
Canadian officials confirmed that 18 Canadians were on board the Ethiopian Airlines flight. Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said she was "shocked and saddened" by the tragedy and offered her condolences to the families of the victims.
"The Government of Canada is working closely with our partners in Ethiopia. Canadian consular officials were immediately deployed to Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa and are working with Ethiopian government agencies to establish the facts and to ensure we can provide the most effective support to the families of the Canadian victims at this difficult time," Freeland said.
The Russian Embassy in Ethiopia posted on Twitter the names of three Russian citizens on board the flight. Ethiopian Airlines said four Slovaks were on board, and that the wife, son and daughter of MP Anton Hrnko were among the victims.
The announcement also confirmed that there were 9 Ethiopians, 8 Chinese, 8 Italians, 8 Americans, 7 French, 7 British, 6 Egyptians, 5 Germans, 4 Indians, 3 Austrians, 3 Swedes, 3 Israelis, 2 Moroccans, 2 Poles, 2 Spaniards on the flight. Belgium, Djibouti, Indonesia, Ireland, Mozambique, Norway, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Somalia, Serbia, Togo, Japan, Yemen, Nepal, Nigeria all had one citizen on the ill-fated flight.
One passenger used a UN passport so nationality could not be confirmed.
The cause of the crash is still unclear. Flight tracking website Flightradar24 said the Ethiopian Airlines plane had unstable vertical speed after takeoff. The pilot told air traffic controllers at Bole Airport in the capital Addis Ababa that he was "having difficulty" and wanted to turn back.
