France's Macron confirms "several French citizens" killed in Ethiopian Airlines plane crash

PARIS, March 10 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday said that "several French nationals" were among the 157 people killed in the crash of Ethiopian Airlines (ET) flight earlier Sunday

"My sincere condolences to the families and friends of the Ethiopian Airlines flight's victims, among which several French citizens," Macron wrote on Twitter.

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

The aircraft, Boeing 737-800 MAX, took off at 08:38 a.m. local time from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport and lost contact at 08:44 a.m. It crashed around Bishoftu town, some 45 km from the capital.

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

The airline said earlier that the victims include 32 from Kenya, 18 from Canada, nine from Ethiopia, eight each from China, Italy and the United States, seven each from Britain and France.

In a statement, however, France's Foreign Ministry said "our embassy and our consular service are mobilized in close contact with the Ethiopian authorities to check if French nationals are among the list of victims."

It added that a crisis unit was opened following the incident.