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Ethiopian Airlines: What we know about the victims of the Boeing 737 crash

Wreckage lies at the crash site of Ethiopia Airlines Boeing 737 (Picture: EPA)

Doctors, government officials and tourists have been named among those killed in the devastating Ethiopian Airlines crash.

The plane heading to Nairobi crashed just minutes after taking off in Ethiopia, killing all 157 passengers and crew-members on board.

Seven Britons and one Irish citizen were among the dead, as were aid workers and three members of a Slovakian MP's family.

The first British victim on board has been named as United Nations worker Joanna Toole, from Devon, who was described by colleagues as a "wonderful human being".

The site of the Ethiopian Airlines crash (REUTERS)

United Nations have said 19 staff members at UN-affiliated organisations are believed to have been among the victims.

Ethiopian Airlines said it had contacted the families of all victims, who came from 35 nations.

Here is what we know so far about the victims:

British citizen Joanna Toole

Joanna Toole, 36, from Devon, was heading to Nairobi to attend the UN Environment Assembly when she was killed.

Father Adrian described her as a "very soft and loving" woman whose "work was not a job - it was her vocation".

"Everybody was very proud of her and the work she did, we're still in a state of shock. Joanna was genuinely one of those people who you never heard a bad word about," he told the DevonLive website.

Joanna Toole, a 36-year-old from Devon, is said to have been among those killed (Manuel Barange/Twitter)

He also said she used to keep homing pigeons and pet rats and travelled to the remote Faroe Islands to prevent whaling.

Manuel Barange, a UN director, said he was "profoundly sad and lost for words" over her death, saying she had been travelling to Nairobi to represent the organisation at the UN Environment Assembly.

He tweeted: "A wonderful human being, who loved her work with a passion. Our love to her family and loved ones."

Irish citizen Michael Ryan

Irishman Michael Ryan was reported to have been among the dead by the UN's World Food Programme (WFP).

The WFP describes itself as a leading humanitarian organisation distributing billions of rations every year to those in need.

"I can very, very sadly confirm that Michael Ryan worked for WFP and was based at our headquarters in Rome and was among those killed on ET 302," a WFP spokesman said.

"All of WFP's thoughts and condolences are with the families of those killed."

Michael Ryan, from Ireland, has been named among the dead (PA)

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar paid tribute to Mr Ryan online, writing: "Our thoughts tonight are with families of all those lost in the Ethiopian Airlines crash, including Irish engineer Michael Ryan.

"Michael was doing life-changing work in Africa with the World Food Programme."

Dual national Joseph Waithaka

Joseph Waithaka, a 55-year-old who lived in Hull for a decade before moving back to his native Kenya, also died in the crash, his son told the Hull Daily Mail.

Ben Kuria, who lives in London, said his father had worked for the Probation Service, adding: "He helped so many people in Hull who had found themselves on the wrong side of the law."

Mr Waithaka had dual Kenyan and British citizenship, the BBC reported.

Professor Pius Adesamni

Pius Adesamni was named as a victim by Benoit-Antoine Bacon, the president and vice-chancellor of Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada.

Describing him as a "towering figure in African and post-colonial scholarship", he said the entire university community was grieving the professor's tragic death.

He revealed that "among many accolades, he received the Penguin Prize for African writing (non-fiction) in 2010".

Relatives of Slovakian MP

Anton Hrnko, an MP for the nationalist Slovak National Party, said he was "in deep grief" to announce three of his relatives were killed in the crash.

He said his wife Blanka, daughter Michala and son Martin were among the dead.

Tamarind CEO ​Jonathan Seex

Hospitality company Tamarind Group announced "with immense shock and grief" that its chief executive Jonathan Seex was among the fatalities.

"It is with immense shock and grief to inform you of the tragic news that Tamarind CEO Jonathan Seex was on the ill-fated Ethiopian Airlines flight," Tamarind Tree Hotel in Nairobi said on their Facebook page.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, the Tamarind community and all the others who have suffered unfathomable losses."

Aid group founder Paolo Dieci

Paolo Dieci, a founder of an aid group that works with Unicef in Africa, was also reported as among the dead.

The International Committee for the Development of Peoples group said: "The world of international cooperation has lost one of its most brilliant advocates and Italian civil society has lost a precious point of reference."

Italian citizens

The mayor of the northern Italian city of Bergamo said three members of humanitarian organisation Africa Tremila were on board.

Giorgio Gori said on Facebook that the aid group's president Carlo Spini, his wife, and treasurer Matteo Ravasio were among the eight Italians killed.

Sicilian regional culture ministry assessor Sebastiano Tusa was also reportedly on the plane.

Wreckage from the Ethiopian Airlines plane (REUTERS)

Karim Saafi

The African Diaspora Youth Forum in Europe said co-chairman Karim Saafi had been a passenger on the flight and had been due to represent them at a meeting with the African Union in Nairobi.

"Karim's smile, his charming and generous personality, eternal positivity, and his noble contribution to youth employment, diaspora engagement and Africa's socio-economic development will never be forgotten," a statement said.

Hussein Swaleh

The former secretary general of the Football Kenya Federation was named as being among the dead by Sofapaka Football Club.

Hussein Swaleh was due to return home on the flight after working as the match commissioner in an African Champions League game in Egypt on Friday.

A relative reacts as he leaves the information centre in Nairobi (REUTERS)

Australian doctors

Austrian media reported that three doctors who were aged between 30 and 40 had died.

Local media suggested they worked at hospitals in Linz.

The site of the Ethiopian Airlines crash (AP)

Tamirat Mulu​ Demessie

Save the Children said its child protection in emergencies adviser Tamirat Mulu Demessie was among the dead.

He "worked tirelessly to ensure that vulnerable children are safe during humanitarian crises", the charity said.

Russian tourists

Three of the Russians on board were tourists, the Russian Embassy in Ethiopia said.

Yekaterina Polyakova, Alexander Polyakov and Sergei Vyalikov were named among the dead.

The first two were reportedly married.

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