All 157 on board killed as Ethiopian plane crashes

All 157 people on board the Ethiopian Airlines (ET) flight that crashed earlier Sunday are confirmed dead, Ethiopian state television reported.

All 149 passengers and eight crew members aboard ET 302, bound for Nairobi, Kenya, are confirmed killed, the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) said.

The Boeing 737-800 MAX took off at 08:38 a.m. local time from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport and lost contact at 08:44 a.m., the airline said in a statement.

Ethiopian Airlines has released telephone numbers for family or friends of those who may have been on the flight to call.

In a statement, the Ethiopian Prime Minister's Office has expressed "deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones" on the flight.

The plane crashed near Bishoftu city, about 45 km southeast of the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, the ET said in a statement.

"Ethiopian Airlines staff will be sent to the accident scene and will do everything possible to assist the emergency services," the statement added.

"We are currently confirming the details of the passenger manifest for the flight," the airline said.

"Ethiopian Airlines Groupd CEP deeply regrets the fatal accident involved on ET 302 / March 10 on a scheduled flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi," the airline said in a statement on Twitter.

"The group CEO who is at the accident scene right now regrets to confirm that there are no survivors," the statement said.

Details of the victims' nationalities are yet to be released by the airlines and Ethiopian authorities.