国际英语新闻：Ethiopian plane crashes off Lebanon

BEIRUT, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- An Ethiopian Airlines plane carrying 90 people fell into the Mediterranean Sea shortly after taking off from Beirut early Monday and at least 33 bodies have been recovered so far according to local media counts.

Ethiopian Airlines said in a statement its Boeing 737-800 passenger plane crashed into the sea minutes after it left the Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut at 2:35 a.m. local time (0035 GMT).

People watch the rescue operation of the Boeing 737-800 passenger plane of Ethiopian Airlines that crashed off the Lebanese coast, south of the capital Beirut, on Jan. 25, 2010

The ET409 flight, carrying 82 passengers and eight crew members, was bound for the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, it said in a statement, adding that the plane lost contact with Lebanese air controllers shortly after takeoff from Beirut.

According to local Naharnet website, so far at least 33 bodies have been recovered from the jet crash, while rescue teams have collected some wreckage pieces of the plane and moved them to Lebanese Army barracks in order to be sent later to laboratories in foreign countries.

A Rescuer picks up the debris of the Boeing 737-800 passenger plane of Ethiopian Airlines that crashed off the Lebanese coast, south of the capital Beirut, on Jan. 25, 2010

Lebanese Transport Minister Ghazi Aridi earlier said at the airport that the airliner carried 83 passengers and seven crew members and that "the crash site has been identified 3.5 km west of the coastal village of Naameh" near Beirut.

Aridi told local television that bad weather conditions are probably the main reason for the crash as the Ethiopian airliner was flying in a thunder storm and heavy rain.

A Lebanese committee was set up to investigate the crash, he said, adding that the committee will cooperate with a French team to uncover the details of the disaster.

He said the Lebanese Armed Forces and the UN maritime task force serving off the Lebanese coast were taking part in the search-and-rescue operation.

A rescuer carries the debris of the Boeing 737-800 passenger plane of Ethiopian Airlines that crashed off the Lebanese coast, south of the capital Beirut, on Jan. 25, 2010