31 Reported Dead After Ethiopian Jet Hits Flock of Birds, Crashes

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — A state-owned jetliner carrying 104 people ran into a flock of birds, crashed and burst into flames shortly after takeoff, killing at least 31 people, the airline said Friday.

Thirty more people were injured and two people were missing in the accident Thursday near Bahar Dar, which is located on the southern shore of Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile, in northwest Gojam province about 200 miles from Addis Ababa.

The Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 was on a scheduled domestic flight from Addis Ababa to Asmara, about 280 miles to the north, when a flock of birds was sucked into both engines after it took off from Bahar Dar, the airline said in a statement.

The pilot tried to turn the plane back to Bahar Dar but failed and crashed into marshy ground 14 miles south of the airport. The plane skidded on its belly for about 500 yards before the fuselage broke in two, the airline said.