Bodies from Ethiopian Airlines crash recovered

Lebanese rescue teams have recovered 23 bodies after an Ethiopian plane with 90 people on board crashed into the Mediterranean Sea.

Officials with the rescue operation said that by Monday morning 23 bodies were recovered from the crash site but no survivors, the state-run Lebanese National News Agency reported.

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced a day of mourning for the victims of the crash, ordering all government departments to close, the news agency added.

He also praised security forces and the Red Cross for their efforts, while urging patience until the recovery of the jetliner’s black box.

The Boeing 737-800 which was en route to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, nose-dived into the Mediterranean Sea at 2:30 a.m. (1230 GMT) on Monday, just minutes after take-off from Beirut International Airport.

Witnesses who live near Beirut’s southern coast have reported seeing a ball of fire as the airliner plunged into the sea.

Most of the 83 passengers aboard were Lebanese and Ethiopian nationals. The flight also had seven crew members.

The wife of France’s ambassador to Lebanon is believed to have been among the passengers.

A parliament member representing the Amal Movement along with his sister and her entire family have also been reported to be among the victims, a Press TV correspondent reported.

The cause of the crash remains unclear; however, Lebanon’s president Michel Sleiman has ruled out the possibility of a terrorist attack.

“We don’t believe that there is any indication for sabotage or foul play,” Sleiman said.

It appears that the stormy weather and technical problems combined with a fuel overload have triggered fire on the plane leading to its eventual crash, aviation sources told Press TV.

Rescue efforts are still ongoing in the southern coast of Beirut as helicopters and rescue ships surround the crash scene in search for survivors.

Beirut has so far requested for help from the Lebanese navy and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Ethiopia has reportedly sent a14-member team to investigate the incident.