Lebanese officials are reporting they have ruled out terrorism as a cause in the Tuesday morning crash of an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Lebanon. Officials reported on midday Monday that 23 bodies have been recovered.

According to Arab media reports, the flight vanished from radar shortly after takeoff, and search efforts for the remaining victims continues, with officials reporting a total of 90 people on board, 83 passengers and 7 crew members were on the flight, including the wife of the French ambassador to Lebanon.

Eyewitness statements indicated the plane; a Boeing 737 “caught fire and plummeted into the Mediterranean”.

The nationalities of the passengers are reported to have been 54 Lebanese, 22 Ethiopians, 1 Iraqi, 1 Syrian, 1 Canadian, 1 Russian 2 British citizens, and 1 French woman.

Al-Arabia reports a Hizbullah member of parliament was supposed to be on the flight as well, but canceled plans at the last moment. Lebanon is observing a day of national mourning following the tragedy.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)