Rescue teams continued Tuesday to scour the sea off Lebanon for victims from the Ethiopian plane which crashed shortly after take off from Beirut International Airport, DPA reported.
Flight 409 from Beirut to Addis Ababa lost contact with the airport shortly after takeoff at dawn on Monday and crashed into the Mediterranean, amid stormy weather.
Defense Minister Elias Murr said initial reports indicated that the pilot of the plane, which was carrying 90 passengers, ignored "a command tower advise to turn right to avoid the storm, but the plane went in the opposite direction."
"So far we do not know what happened or whether it was beyond the pilot's control ... we need to find the black box and then all will be decided," he added.
"We have to find the black box because all the truth lies there," Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri was quoted as saying.
So far rescuers have not found any sign of survivors from the 90 people on board.
Lebanese officials ruled out sabotage in the plane crash and blamed it on bad weather conditions.
The search operation restarted early Tuesday with better weather conditions - enabling a US naval ship that specializes in rescue operations and carries advanced equipment and divers on board to start their rescue work alongside Lebanese army soldiers and German boats from the UN Maritime Task Force, which usually monitor the Lebanese coast.
Lebanese troops could be seen dragging pieces of the plane, including seats and large chunks of metal early Tuesday.
The source added that the U.S. had provided a P-3 aircraft which has thermal radar and can find bodies and metal under water.
Britain and France also sent helicopters to assist in the operations, the source said.
So far and according to unofficial records 30 bodies were recovered and taken to Beirut hospitals.
A source at Beirut Governmental Hospital told the German Press Agency dpa that they are fourteen bodies at the morgue and most of the bodies had major injuries in their necks,heads and hands.
"DNA tests started since yesterday to indentify the victims," he added.
The passengers of the Ethiopian plane include 54 Lebanese, 22 Ethiopians, one Iraqi, one French woman, who was indetified as the wife of the fRench Ambassador to Lebanon, one Syrian and seven crew members. There were also several dual nationals including two British-Lebanese, one Canadian-Lebanese and a Russian-Lebanese.
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