Lebanese official claims Ethiopia jet crash caused by lightning strike
According to a senior Lebanese official, who asked to remain anonymous because he was revealing confidential information, the Ethiopian plane was in flames before crashing early Monday due to a lightning strike and structural failure. Speaking to local media in Beirut, the official claimed the plane must have run out of control after the strike and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea.
The Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane, ET409, was Addis Ababa-bound and carried 90 people on board. According to the airlines CEO, there have been no survivors found and the stormy weather has affected the search and rescue operations.
According to the Lebanese official, the plane disappeared from the radar after making a turn as the result of the powerful strike during the thunderstorms. Eyewitness accounts close to the crash site in Naameh, about 3.5km from the coast, confirmed the plane was engulfed in fire following a lightning strike.
The bodies of dozens of people have been recovered. The plane, Boeing 737-800, was carrying mostly Lebanese and Ethiopians as well as passengers from Turkey, United Kingdom, France, Russia, Canada, Syria and Iraq.