A military plane has crashed soon after take-off in a farm field in northern Algeria, killing 257 people.
Key points:
257 people died in the crash
Algerian authorities did not say if there were any survivors
In 2014 an Algerian military plane crashed, killing 77
The Defence Ministry said those killed included 247 passengers and 10 crew. The cause of the crash was unclear and an investigation has been opened.Dozens of firefighters, rescue workers and military officials worked around the blackened fuselage of the aircraft, which had been ripped open near its wings.
Television footage showed crowds gathering around the smoking and flaming wreckage near Boufarik airport southwest of Algiers.
A line of white body bags could be seen on the ground next to what media said was a Russian Ilyushin transport plane as ambulances and Red Crescent vehicles arrived at the crash site.
Algerian authorities did not mention whether there were any survivors but one witness reported seeing some people jump out of the aircraft before it crashed at 7:50am on Wednesday local time.
