Ethiopian Airlines flight bound for Nairobi crashes, kills all 157 on board

An Ethiopian Airlines jet faltered and crashed shortly after takeoff, carving a gash in the earth and spreading global grief to 35 countries that had someone among the 157 people who were killed. (AP)

There was no immediate indication why the plane went down in clear weather while on a flight to Nairobi, the capital of neighbouring Kenya. (AP)

Black body bags were spread out nearby while Red Cross and other workers looked for remains. As the sun set, the airline's chief operating officer said the plane's flight data recorder had not yet been found. (AP)

A list of the dead released by Ethiopian Airlines included passengers from China, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Israel, India and Somalia. Kenya lost 32 citizens. Canada, 18. Several countries including the United States lost four or more people. (AP)

The jet showed unstable vertical speed after takeoff, air traffic monitor Flightradar 24 said. The senior Ethiopian pilot, who joined the airline in 2010, sent out a distress call and was given clearance to return to the airport, the airline's CEO told AP. (AP)

The last deadly crash of an Ethiopian Airlines passenger flight was in 2010, when a plane went down minutes after takeoff from Beirut, killing all 90 people on board. (Reuters)

China’s aviation regulator ordered Chinese airlines on Monday to suspend their Boeing Co 737 MAX aircraft operations by 6 pm (1000 GMT) following the deadly crash which killed all 157 on board. (Reuters)