An Ethiopian Airlines plane carrying 82 passengers and eight crew members fell into the Mediterranean sea shortly after taking off from Lebanon's capital Beirut early Monday, the airlines confirmed.
The 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), said the airlines' public relations service.
The ET409 flight, which was bound for the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, carried 82 passengers and eight crew.
The plane lost contact with Lebanese air controllers shortly after takeoff from Beirut, the public relations service said in a press release.
Out of the total passengers, 51 passengers are Lebanese nationals, while 24 are from Ethiopia. The others are from Turkey and other countries.
The airlines said a team was already working to gather all pertinent information.
"An investigative team has already been dispatched to the scene and we will release further information as further updates are received," said the press release.
The press release gave no details of the casualties from the crash.
The Lebanese media reported that poor weather conditions may have contributed to the accident as the plane was flying in storms.
The wreckage of the plane could be seen from the Lebanese shore, local residents said. A rescue team had rushed to the scene.
As Ethiopia's flag carrier, Ethiopian Airlines now serves 56 international destinations. It operates 37 aircraft including five Boeing 737s.