Beirut.– An Ethiopian Airlines plane carrying 90 people caught fire and crashed into the Mediterranean shortly after takeoff Monday from Beirut, setting off a frantic search as rain lashed the coast and debris washed ashore.

At least 23 bodies were recovered.The cause of the crash was not immediately known. Lebanon has been slammed by bad weather since Sunday night, with crackling thunder, lightning and pouring rain.

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman said terrorism was not suspected in the crash of Flight 409, which was headed for the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. "Sabotage is ruled out as of now," he said.

The last incident involving Ethiopian Airlines was in November 1996 when 125 of the 175 passengers and crew died after a hijacked Boeing 767 crashed off the Comoros Islands.