Press Association
Two British passport-holders were on board a jet which crashed into the Mediterranean today, the Foreign Office confirmed.
The Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed into the sea off Lebanon in stormy weather just minutes after leaving the ground, with witnesses saying they saw a "ball of fire".
There has been no news of survivors.
A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that one British national and one dual national were on board Ethiopian Air flight number ET 409 departing from Beirut to Ethiopia, that crashed into the sea off the coast of Lebanon early this morning.
"A British Royal Air Force helicopter, based in Cyprus, has joined the Lebanese authorities' search and rescue operation.
"Our thoughts are with the families of all those involved in this tragedy".
No further details about the two people will be released until next of kin have been informed, the spokeswoman added.
Britons requiring consular assistance can contact the consular office on 00961 (0)334 5520.
There were 90 people on board the Boeing 737 and more than 20 bodies have been recovered.
Ethiopian Airlines said that, as well as the two Britons, there were 22 Ethiopians, 54 Lebanese, one French, one Russian, one Canadian, one Syrian and one Iraqi among the passengers.
Also on board was the wife of the French ambassador to Lebanon, according to a French embassy official.
The search for the plane, which was carrying 83 passengers and seven crew, was carried out as stormy weather continued to lash the coast.
Lebanese President Michel Suleiman said terrorism was not suspected in the crash of Flight 409, which was headed for the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
"Sabotage is ruled out as of now," he said.
The country's transportation minister, Ghazi Aridi, added: "The weather undoubtedly was very bad".
The aircraft took off from Beirut at around 2.30am local time (12.30am GMT) for Addis Ababa, said Mr Aridi.
It went down about two miles off the coast.
Relatives began arriving at Beirut airport, many of them crying and hugging one another as they were led into a VIP area.
Ethiopian Airlines said on its website: "A team is already working on gathering all pertinent information.
"An investigative team has already been dispatched to the scene and we will release further information as further updates are received".
The airline has long had a reputation for high-quality service compared with other African airlines, with two notable crashes in more than 20 years.
A hijacked Ethiopian Airlines jet crash-landed off the Comoros Islands in the Indian Ocean when it ran out of fuel in November 1996, killing 126 of the 175 people on board.
The plane had just left Addis Ababa when three hijackers stormed the cockpit and demanded to be taken to Australia.
In September 1988, an Ethiopian Airlines jet crashed shortly after taking off when it ran into a flock of birds, killing 31 of the 104 people on board.
The airline's chief executive, Ato Girma Wake, said at a press conference reported on the Ethiopian website: "We are very sorry to have you here this morning under this tragic circumstance involving this unfortunate accident.
"Let me first extend my deepest sympathy to the family members and friends of the victims".
He said a British team of aircraft accident handling and crisis management experts was travelling from London to Beirut today.
The team of eight people from Blake Emergency Services will help with the rescue mission and set up a family assistance centre to help relatives.
The Independent
