157 people, 18 Canadians, dead in Ethiopian Airlines flight crash

157 people including 18 Canadians were killed when an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed shortly after take off Sunday morning.

The Boeing 737-800 Max plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Ethiopia’s capital. The plane was flying to Nairobi, Kenya. Ethiopian authorities say the pilot sent out a distress call and was given clearance to return but moments later it went off radar.

The identities of some of the Canadians who were on the flight were released. CBC reports that an Edmonton mother and her 5 year-old daughter were killed and Carleton University is confirming that one of their professors was on board.

Pius Adesanmi helped build the institute of African Studies at the university, sharing his passion for African literature with his students.

Of the 157 casualties in this crash, Canada has the second highest number of fatalities.  Ethiopian Airlines says 32 Kenyans, nine Ethiopians, eight Americans, eight Chinese, and eight Italians were on board.

Others learned of the crash from journalists. Ethiopian Air is one of the biggest carriers on the continent by fleet size. The company estimates roughly 10.6 million passengers flew with them last year.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted, “Devastating news from Ethiopia this morning. Our thoughts are with all the victims on flight ET302, including the Canadians who were on board, and everyone who lost friends, family, or loved ones. Canadians in need of assistance, contact sos@international.gc.ca or 613-996-8885.”

Nicole Martin sat down with veteran pilot and President and CEO of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum to talk about the crash.

The cause of the crash is being investigated.