Rescue Teams Search for Survivors of Ethiopian Airlines Crash

Search and rescue teams are still scouring the shores of the Mediterranean in hopes of finding survivors of a jet that crashed shortly after taking off from Beirut.

The Ethiopian Airlines plane was carrying 90 people when it caught fire and plummeted into the sea.

Keep reading for more details, including some factors that may have led to the crash.

Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409 took off from Beirut around 2:30 a.m. local time en route for Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.

Just after takeoff, the flight crew lost contact with Lebanese air traffic control for reasons still unknown. Eyewitnesses then reportedly saw the plane catch fire and plunge into the frigid waters of the Mediterranean.

Officials say it is too soon to determine exactly what caused the crash. The plane did take off in stormy weather with thunder, lighting, rain and poor visibility.

Government and airline officials have said that they aren’t suspecting any foul play. Investigators have already been sent to crash site in search of flight data recorders.

Rescue workers have recovered the bodies of 34 of the 90 people on board, but have yet to find any survivors.

By Dan Bence for PeterGreenberg.com.

Related Links: Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, MSNBC

PeterGreenberg.com Links

• Dozens Injured After American Airlines Flight Skids off Runway
• Search and Rescue Continues After Coast Guard and Military Helicopter Collide, Communications Investigated
• Fire on JetBlue Plane Forces Evacuation in Bahamas
• Authorities Recover More Bodies, Still Searching for Cause of New York City Air Collision
• Plane Crashes section