Carleton University Professor Confirmed Dead In Ethiopian Airlines Plane Crash
The world is mourning after a tragic plane crash occurred today that killed 158 people. The Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed shortly after takeoff on Sunday morning claiming lives of passengers from over 32 nationalities, including eighteen Canadians. It has now been confirmed that among those eighteen Canadians, one of the Ethiopian Airlines passengers was an Ontario professor.Â
Carleton Professor, Pius Adesanmi, was one of the many who lost their lives in the tragic accident this morning. The entire Carleton community is now mourning the loss of an amazing professor.Â
Professor Adesanmi was the director of the Institute of African Studies and a professor in the English Department within Carleton University. Throughout his career, he won the Penguin Prize for African Writing, The Erasmus Teaching Award and the Association of Nigerian Authors' Poetry Prize.Â
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Along with being a professor, Adesanmi was also an author of a variety of books and essays, including You are Not a Country, Africa. In a recent tweet, Carleton University President, Benoit-Antoine Bacon refers to Adesanmi as a "towering figure in African and post-colonial scholarship,".Â
The entire Carleton community is grieving the tragic death of Prof. Pius Adesanmi, a towering figure in African and post-colonial scholarship. Our thoughts are with all those who knew and loved Prof. Adesanmi and with everyone who suffered loss in that tragic crash in Ethiopia.
The plane crash occurred at 8:44 a.m. local time shortly after takeoff. The exact cause of the crash is still unclear as expert technicians continue to examine the scene. Yet, it is reported that the pilot had expressed that they were experiencing difficulties and asked to return to Addis Ababa.Â
Another plan of the same model was involved in a crash five months prior, which killed nearly 190 people who were on board.Â
In the wake of the recent accident, the entire Carleton community is mourning the loss of their beloved professor. Bacon was one of the first to confirm the loss in a tweet that was released this afternoon.Â
Many staff and students are also expressing their condolences.Â
RIP Prof. Pius. This is a very sad news for međđđ. Rest In Peace
RIP Prof. You really inspired a lot of us.
Nigerians are also expressing their condolences for Professor Adesanmi since he was from there.Â
Itâs a sad day for Nigeria and Nigerians.
May his soul rest in eternal peace!
A bright shining star just got cut off in his prime.This is an irreparable loss to Nigeria and Canada.
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The victims of the tragic plane crash came from 35 different nationalities. This includes 18 Canadians and eight Americans.Â