An Irish person is among 157 people who died after an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed on its way to Nairobi in Kenya.
A spokesperson from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed that they are "aware of the incident" and "stand ready to provide consular assistance if requested".
The Boeing 737 Max 8, carrying 149 passengers and eight crew members, was on a scheduled flight when it came down, just six minutes after taking off from the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
The state broadcaster confirmed that there have been no survivors in the tragedy.
The airline said Flight ET 302 had crashed near the town of Bishoftu, roughly 50km southeast of the Addis Ababa.
The aircraft is just a few months old, having taken its first flight at the end of October. It is the same type as the Lion Air plane which crashed into the sea off Indonesia last year when 189 people perished.
In the wake of that disaster Boeing issued a warning to airlines using its 737 Max 8 planes after a sensor failure was identified as a potential cause of the crash.
The Ethiopian prime minister's office has offered condolences to families affected by the disaster.
The Office of the PM, on behalf of the Government and people of Ethiopia, would like to express it’s deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning.
— Office of the Prime Minister - Ethiopia (@PMEthiopia) March 10, 2019
