A man surveys the damage after a military plane crashed in the mountains of eastern Algeria on Tuesday, February 11. Rescue workers recovered at least 77 bodies and found one survivor, officials said.
The plane was flying from Tamanrasset in southern Algeria to Constantine in the east, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The plane crashed into Mount Fertas, about 500 kilometers (310 miles) east of Algiers.
One person survived the crash of a military plane Tuesday in the mountains of eastern Algeria that left at least 77 others dead, a spokeswoman for the country's Civil Protection office said.
The spokeswoman, who
could not give her name in line with protocol, said there were a total
of 78 people on board the plane. The man who survived has head injuries
and was taken to a hospital, she added.
Algerian President
Abdelaziz Bouteflika declared a three-day national mourning period and
offered his condolences to the families of the victims, the state-run
Algerie Presse Service (APS) reported.
The Hercules C-130 was
carrying members of the Algerian air force and their families, according
to several media outlets in Algeria.
Map: Algeria plane crash
Initial reports on the
crash gave conflicting numbers, with some saying 103 people were on
board the aircraft and as many as 100 had died. Others cited 52 deaths
and more than two dozen missing.
The plane was flying from Tamanrasset in southern Algeria to Constantine in the east, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
"An investigative team
has been created and sent to the scene to determine the cause and the
exact circumstances of this tragic accident," the Defense Ministry
statement said, adding that top military officials were heading to the
crash site.
The plane crashed in Mount Fertas, which is about 500 kilometers (310 miles) east of Algeris, according to APS.
State radio, citing a military source, said bad weather was behind the crash.
There was a snowstorm in the area when the plane went down, witnesses told the radio network.
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