Algerian military plane crash: The aircraft crashed in a field close to Boufarik airport soon after it took off. (Source: Reuters)
An Algerian military plane carrying more than 100 soldiers crashed soon after it took off, in a farm field near Boufarik airport in northern Algeria on Wednesday. The death toll is estimated to be over 250, news agency Reuters reported citing the state TV. The plane came down near Boufarik airport, local channel Ennahar TV reported. Emergency services rushed at the spot after the crash.
Television footage showed black smoke billowing near a motorway and a crowd of security officials and others standing in a field next to the crash site. Mohammed Achour, chief spokesman for the civil protection agency confirmed that the plane was carrying more than 100 soldiers. He was quoted by AP as saying: “There are more than 100 deaths. We can’t say exactly how many at this point.”
The reason behind the crash is yet to be ascertained. As per a Defence Ministry statement, an investigation has already been ordered into the matter.
(With input from agencies)
Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika after the crash announced three days of national mourning, adding that prayers for the dead will be held on Friday, news agency AP reported.
An eye-witness speaking with local media was quoted by Reuters as saying: "After taking off, with the plane at a height of 150 meters I saw the fire on its wing. The pilot avoided crashing on the road when he changed the flight path to the field."
Expressing grief over the mishap, the prime minister's office said the lawmakers and officials observed a minute of silence and paid tribute to the victims. The Defence Ministry also issued a statement expressing condolences to families of the victims.
The Algerian authorities are yet to provide details regarding the survivors. However, an eye-witness speaking to Algerian TV network Ennahar said people were seen jumping out of the aircraft before it crashed in the field.
Another report in Algerian TV Dzair said five people were in a critical state but it's unclear whether they were inside the plane when it crashed.
December 2012: Two military planes collided mid-flight during a training exercise in Tlemcen, in which both the pilots were killed.
February 2014: 77 people were killed after a military plane carrying soldiers and their relatives crashed between Tamanrasset in southern Algeria and the eastern city of Constantine. Only one passenger had survived after the military aircraft came crashing down into the mountainous Oum El Bouaghi region. The officials had cited bad weather as the reason behind the crash.
July 2014: An Air Algerie passenger plane flying from Burkina Faso to Algiers crashed in northern Mali, killing all the 116 people on board, which included 54 French nationals.
October 2014: A military plane crashed in the south of the country during a training exercise, killing the two men on board.
Cranes are used to recover the bodies stuck in the wreckage of the crashed air-craft. The victims are being transported o Algerian army's central hospital in Ain Naadja. (Source: AP)
Algerian defence ministry confirming the death toll said 247 passengers and 10 crew members were killed. The victims mostly comprise of the soldiers and their relatives. The bodies have been transported to Algerian army's central hospital in the town of Ain Naadja for identification.
As per the latest report in Algerian state TV, at least 257 people are feared dead in the crash. The victims also include 26 members of Western Sahara’s Polisario, an Algerian-backed group fighting for the independence of neighbouring Western Sahara – a territory also claimed by Morocco in a long-running dispute.
The Algerian plane crash is only one among a list of others to have taken place this year. Here is A list of all the aircraft accidents that occurred in 2018
As per the latest report in AP, Algerian emergency services claim that at least 181 lives are lost in the crash.
The plane that crashed after takeoff in a field near Boufarik military base was headed to Tindouf in Algeria's south, home to camps for refugees from a long-running territorial dispute in Western Sahara.
As per Algeria's ruling party FLN, the victims of the Algerian military plane crash include 26 members of the Western Saharan Polisario independence movement. FLN Secretary-General Djamel made the comment while speaking to local private broadcaster Ennahar TV, but was unable to provide the exact death toll.
A screengrab taken from local TV channel showing emergency services at the scene after a military plane crashed soon after takeoff at Boufarik military base, Algeria.
The flight had just taken off from Boufarik, about 30 kilometers southwest of the capital Algiers, for a military base in Bechar in southwest Algeria, chief spokesman for the civil protection agency said. It was scheduled to make a layover in Tindouf in southern Algeria, home to many refugees from neighboring Western Sahara, a disputed territory annexed by Morocco. (AP)
"There are more than 100 deaths. We can't say exactly how many at this point,'' Mohammed Achour, chief spokesman for the civil protection agency, told The Associated Press.
He said the plane was carrying soldiers. The Defense Ministry did not provide a death toll but expressed condolences to the victims' families.
Algerian state radio says that more than 100 people were killed in a military plane crash southwest of the capital. The report said the cause of the crash near an air base in Boufarik remains unclear. (AP)
Television footage showed black smoke billowing near a motorway and a crowd of security officials and others standing in a field next to the crash site.
The tail fin of a plane could be seen above olive trees, with smoke and flames rising from the wreckage. (Reuters)
More than 100 military personnel were on board the plane when it came down near Boufarik airport, local channel Ennahar TV reported. There was no immediate confirmation from authorities. (Reuters)
The plane was headed for Bechar in south-western Algeria. Emergency services have been dispatched to the site of the crash, reports The Associated Press.
More than 100 military personnel were on board the plane when it came down near Boufarik airport, local channel Ennahar TV reported. There was no immediate confirmation from authorities. (Reuters)