BEIRUT, Feb 6 (KUNA) -- Search teams have located the black box and it is under the tail of the ill-fated Ethiopian airplane, which crashed into the sea on January 25 , Lebanese Minister of Public Works and Transport Ghazi Al-Aridi said Saturday.
"The black box has been located under the tail of the destroyed airplane. It (black box) must remain in water and if it is taken out of it the data will be damaged," Al-Aridi told a news conference.
The Lebanese army is playing a key role in the search missions, he noted. The tail is located off Al-Naema coast, southern Beirut.
Al-Aridi said the Syrian authorities discovered two parts of the Ethiopian aircraft which were drifted to Syrian shores. "Both pieces will be handed over on Monday." The minister also announced recovery of major parts of the aircraft.
The Ethiopian Boeing 737-800 crashed before dawn just minutes after take-off during stormy weather from Beirut airport, bound for Addis Ababa with 83 passengers and seven crew on board. Only 15 bodies were found. - Kuna