France confirms nine nationals dead in Ethiopian plane crash

PARIS, March 11 (Xinhua) -- France's Foreign Affairs Ministry confirmed late on Sunday that nine French people are among the victims of Ethiopian Airlines crashed plane near Addis Ababa.

"... It is confirmed that nine passengers of French nationality died in the accident," the ministry said in a press release.

"We send our most sincere condolences to the relatives of the victims," it added.

A crisis unit was opened following the incident to inform the families about the situation and help them to deal with the aftermath, according to the ministry.

Furthermore, Paris prosecutor office opened a probe into the crash of the Boeing 737-800 MAX which lost contact shortly after it took off at 08:38 a.m. local time on Sunday from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.

In a Twitter message, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed "sincere condolences to the families and friends of the Ethiopian Airlines flight's victims ..."

"We share their sorrow. France stands by the people of Ethiopia and Kenya, and expresses its full solidarity," he wrote.

All 149 passengers and eight crew members from 32 countries, aboard the flight ET 302 bound for Nairobi, Kenya, were confirmed killed, according to the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC).

The cause of the crash of was not immediately identified.