KATHMANDU, March 10: One Nepali national, who was killed in the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash, has been identified as Ekta Adhikari from Gorkha District.
Adhikari, a stafff with the World Food Program in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, lost her life when she was flying to Kenya to attend a seminar.
The Nepali Embassy in Cairo, which is accredited to Ethiopia, has communicated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the death of Adhikari in the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash, a source at the ministry confirmed Republica Online.
The ministry has also instructed the embassy to provide all help and assistance to the bereaved family, the source added.
WFP's Executive Director David Beasley on Twitter has mourned over demise of WFP staff. However, he hasn't specified Adhikari's name.
One Nepali national among 157 killed in Ethiopian Airlines plan...
The WFP family mourns today -- @WFP staff were among those aboard the Ethiopian Airlines flight. We will do all that is humanly possible to help the families at this painful time. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
— David Beasley (@WFPChief) March 10, 2019
Meanwhile, Treasurer of Non Resident Nepali Association Hikmat Thapa (based in Nigeria), has also confirmed the death of Adhikari in the plane crash.
Ekta Adhikari, Nepali national working with WFP Ethiopia was on board ill fated #EthiopianAirlines Flight #ET302. Heartfelt Condolences and prayers to all deceased victims. pic.twitter.com/aWGhPJRpKB
— Hikmat Thapa (@HikmatThapa) March 10, 2019
However, the airlines has not made public the name of the Nepali national killed in the crash. The plane was carrying passengers from more than 30 countries, according to media reports.
In the deadliest air crash, 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, nine Ethiopians, eight Italians, eight Chinese citizens, eight Americans, seven British citizens, seven French citizens, six Egyptians, five Dutch citizens, four Indians, four people from Slovakia, three Austrians, three Swedes, three Russians, two Moroccans, two Spaniards, two Poles and two Israelis among those were killed.
Belgium, Indonesia, Somalia, Norway, Serbia, Togo, Mozambique, Rwanda, Sudan, Uganda and Yemen each had one citizen onboard.
Four of those onboard were listed as using United Nations passports and their nationalities were not immediately clear, Reuters reported.
The Ethiopian Airlines passenger jet bound for Nairobi crashed minutes after take-off, killing all 157 people on board and raising questions about the safety of the Boeing 737 MAX 8, a new model that also crashed in Indonesia in October.
Sunday’s flight left Bole airport in Addis Ababa at 8:38 a.m. (0538 GMT), before losing contact with the control tower just a few minutes later at 8:44 a.m.
