Algeria: 257 killed in military plane crash
At least 257 people killed as an Algerian military plane carrying soldiers, their families and some refugees crashes soon after takeoff into a field in northern Algeria; Local Defense Ministry says, those killed include 247 passengers and 10 crew.
An Algerian military plane has crashed near the capital killing 257 people on board. The aircraft came down just after taking off from Boufarik military airport, west of Algiers.
An inquiry is under way into the cause of the crash – Algeria’s worst-ever air disaster.
The government has declared three days of national mourning.
Most of the dead are army personnel and their families. Ten crew members have also died.
The plane was travelling to Bechar and Tindouf in the south-west of the country.
The Tindouf region, which borders Western Sahara, is home to refugee camps and serves as a base for the Polisario Front.
