A planned meeting between the grieving families of flight ET 302 and the management of Ethiopian Airlines to contain the anger and disappointment that has brewed since the accident abruptly ended in commotion; and with a brief detention of one journalist from The Reporter inside Skylight Hotel,this morning.
The journalist was detained for attempting to interview the family members as they rushed out of the meeting hall, some crying and shouting in anger.
“I am tired of waiting for little information and I need to be heard”, a man shouted as he snatched the microphone from a member of the management team who had come to update the room of the situation. The Ethiopian Airline personnel,who refused to identify himself, and instead called security on local journalists, while members of the international media were allowed to continue to videotape and interview the families, freely.
Many laid out a slew of complaints, specifically how the bodies would be retrieved and identified for proper burials.
“We are tired of waiting, you have given us little information and it has been an agonizing experience for us,” a Chinese man shouted. “When can we get the bodies?”
“How long do we have to wait, you seem to be ill-equipped with information,” another screamed, as he rushed out the door midway into the meeting, followed by a rush of people who left the meeting in protest.
Addis Ababa has been hosting family members since the accident occurred on Sunday as the airline has offered free transportation and hospitality services to the visiting family members at the newly inaugurated, Skylight hotel.
“From now onward, information on any development about ET 302 will be posted on Ethiopian Airlines website and on our social media sites,” the Ethiopian Airlines said in a statement, in reaction to what occurred at the hotel earlier today. “We request all media channels to refer to our website and social media pages for any request of information they may have”.
