Ethiopian airline's plane crashes en route to Kenya, 157 people on board

ADDIS ABABA, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian Airlines Group on Sunday confirmed that its flight carrying 157 people crashed on Sunday en route to Nairobi, Kenya.

The aircraft, Boeing 737-800 MAX, with registration number ET-AVJ, took off at 08:38 a.m. local time from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport and lost contact at 08:44 a.m., the airline said in a statement.

There were 149 passengers and eight crew members on board flight ET 302, the statement said.

The number of causalities is yet to be confirmed by the airline and Ethiopian authorities.

"At this time search and rescue operations are in progress and we have no confirmed information about survivors or any possible causalities," the airline said.

"Ethiopian Airlines staff will be sent to the accident scene and will do everything possible to assist the emergency services," the statement added.

"We are currently confirming the details of the passenger manifest for the flight," the airline said.

Ethiopian Airlines has release telephone numbers for family or friends of those who may have been on the flight to call.

In a statement, the Ethiopian Prime Minister's Office has expressed "deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones" on the flight.