afrol News, 25 January - More than 90 people are feared dead after the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409 plunged into the Mediterranean Sea after take-off from Beruit.

The plane is said to have burst into flames before dipping into the waters.

The fate of those on board remains unclear, but so far there have been no reports of survivors.

Lebanese officials have been reported as saying the plane disappeared from radar five minutes after take off during a thunder storm and heavy rain.

Shortly after 2.40am local time (0040 GMT), it crashed into the sea two miles west of the coastal village of Na'ameh, Ghazi Aridi, Lebanon's transport minister was reported to have told reporters at the airport.

Reports have said so far a few bodies have been found, with little hope for any survivors. However, an investigation into the cause of the crash has already been launched.

Reports have stated that of the 83 passengers and seven crew members on board, 54 were Lebanese nationals and 22 were Ethiopians, while two passengers carried British passports. Other passengers said to have been listed were from countries such as Canada, France, Russia, Iraq and Syria.

Ethiopian Airlines, with one of the clean records on the continent, has never been involved in a serious accident since the November 1996, when a Nairobi-bound aircraft was commandeered by hijackers in one of the most bizarre incidents in aviation history, when all but 50 of the 175 people on board were killed.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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