World leaders and citizens from over 30 nations expressed grief following the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines flight departing from Addis Ababa, which resulted in at least 150 fatalities. The Boeing 737-800 was en route to Nairobi, Kenya, when it crashed shortly after takeoff.
The death toll included 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, nine Ethiopians, and eight each from the United States, China, and Italy. Additional casualties comprised seven French and British nationals, with reports indicating aid workers from the United Nations and private organizations among the victims.
At Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, relatives of those aboard the flight gathered at an emergency response center. The World Food Program confirmed staff members were among the deceased, while the Tamarind Group reported the death of its chief executive, Jonathan Seex, in a Facebook post.
Chinese authorities identified eight citizens killed, including a worker from the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation. The Chinese embassy in Kenya provided a victim list detailing a Nairobi-based United Nations Environment Program staff member and an Aviation Industry Corporation of China employee among the dead.
The Russian Embassy confirmed the deaths of three Russian nationals, while a Slovakian parliament member shared the loss of his wife, son, and daughter. UN officials investigated whether some passengers were traveling to Nairobi for the United Nations Environment Assembly, an upcoming global environmental policy conference.
