Among the 32 Kenyans who died during the Ethiopian Airlines’ plane crash were five members of one family.
Even as the country mourns the death of its citizens, Kelvin Karanja is mourning the death of his mother, sister and three children who were headed to Nairobi from Ethiopia to reunite with the rest of the family.
Speaking on his loss, Karanja stated: “My mother had been in Ethiopia for six months and was coming to be with the rest of the family in Kenya.”
According to the Star, Karanja had not seen his sister for eight years.
However, Karanja is not alone as another family member; Mohamed Ahmed lost his two nieces in the plane crash.
Speaking to journalists, Ahmed noted that he had seen them off when they left Kenya for a two-day visit and had been looking forward to receiving them.
He revealed: “We had only talked via WhatsApp when they arrived in Addis Ababa and we were to meet later when they jetted back.
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“It’s painful to know we will not be able to laugh, play or talk with them,” he added.
The tragic turn of events has left many families in shock and distress as they gathered at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to get details of the crash.
The crash which took place just six minutes after taking off was carrying 18 Canadians, 6 Egyptians, 9 Ethiopians, 7 French nationals, 8 Americans, 8 Italians, 8 Chinese and 7 Britons among others.
Following the crash, the Ethiopian Airlines has grounded all Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets.
According to Ethiopian Airlines, the decision was made as an “extra safety precaution” as investigations continue into the cause of the Sunday crash.
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