LONDON: The families of Britons killed when a Boeing 737 Max airliner crashed in Ethiopia four years ago are seeking a verdict of unlawful killing at the inquest, German news agency (dpa) quoted local media.
British humanitarian workers Sam Pegram, 25, and Oliver Vick, 45, and sustainability campaigner Joanna Toole, 36, were among 157 passengers who died after the airliner crashed into remote farmland outside the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa in March 2019.
Lawyers for the families will be seeking a verdict of unlawful killing at the inquest due to begin in Horsham on Monday, according to the BBC.
Pegram’s mother, Deborah, told the broadcaster: “Sam was just a joy to have in your life. Right from when he was a little boy, he wanted to help people.”
She said her son, from Lancashire, “just made our lives better, really… and he’s left a really big hole”.
Flight ET302, a passenger flight from Ethiopia to Kenya, crashed shortly after taking off from Addis Ababa, killing all 157 people on board.
It was the second deadly incident involving the new model of Boeing passenger jet in less than five months, prompting concerns over its safety.
Toole’s father, Adrian, sees the inquest as a chance to express the loss which has been caused by her death in a formal inquiry.
He told the BBC: “For me, it represents what may be my only opportunity to actually talk about Joanna to what is effectively a captive audience.
“And what I hope to point out is what has been lost with Joanna’s death. To her partner, Paul, to me, and to the international sustainability effort.” – BERNAMA-dpa
