January 25, 2010 Ethiopian Airlines Boeing-737 aircraft heading from Beirut to Addis Ababa crashed into the Mediterranean Sea.

The plane with 92 people aboard, including crew members disappeared off the radar some five minutes after taking off, Reuters reports. According to witnesses, the plane caught fire in the air.

Under preliminary data, there were 9 foreigners and 52 Lebanese among the passengers, ITAR-TASS informs. One of them had Russian citizenship.

Stormy weather in the Mediterranean Sea may cause the accident. Presently, rescue and search operations are underway in the emergency site.

Accident causes are being clarified.

L.A.