Ethiopian Airlines Flight with 148 passengers, 8 crew members on board crashes enroute Kenya

Update at 9:30 PM: MEA expresses condolences to the families of those who lost their loved ones in the crash.

Update at 9:15 PM: Anguished by the loss of lives due to the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines plane. My thoughts are with the bereaved families: PM Modi expresses condolences.

Update at 4:20 PM: No survivors from crashed Ethiopian Airlines Addis Ababa - Nairobi flight that was carrying 157 people: State Broadcaster

Update 4:10 PM: President of The Republic of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta expressed condolences on Twitter:

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Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX carrying 149 passengers, 8 crew members on Sunday crashed while flying on its way to Kenya's Nairobi, a spokesman for Ethiopian Airlines has confirmed. The cause and location of the crash are yet to be ascertained by the officials.

"Ethiopian Airlines regrets to confirm that its flight ET 302/10 March in schedule service from Addis Ababa to Nairobi was involved in an accident today around Bishoftu (Debre Zeit). The aircraft B-737-800MAX with registration number ET- AVJ took off at 08:38 am local time from Addis Ababa, Bole International Airport and lost contact at 08:44am," the official statement said. 

Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed's office took to Twitter to express condolences on the flight crash.

"The Office of the PM, on behalf of the Government and people of Ethiopia, would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning," the Ethiopian PM's office wrote to Twitter. 

Meanwhile, the rescue operation is underway. Ethiopian Airlines staff has been sent to the accident scene. 

This is a developing story. More information is expected.