Kenyans accounted for 32 of the 157 victims in the Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 149 passengers and eight crew members aboard a B-737-800MAX jetliner.
Kenya's Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia confirmed the presence of passengers from at least five nations, with Ethiopia and Kenya being the hardest-hit. The death toll included 32 Kenyans, nine Ethiopians, and individuals from 33 other nationalities, according to airline statements.
The aircraft, which had been purchased four months prior, crashed six minutes after departing Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa on a flight bound for Nairobi. Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam confirmed no survivors in a statement released at the crash site.
"The aircraft B-737-800MAX with registration number ET-AVJ, took off at 8:38am local time from Addis Ababa, Bole International Airport, and lost contact at 8:44am," the airline said in a statement.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia, Deputy President William Ruto, and African Union Envoy Raila Odinga all issued condolences to the victims' families. The airline's Corporate Communications Director Asrat Begashaw noted the diverse nationalities aboard the aircraft.
