257 people dead in Algeria military plane crash

A plane crash in Algeria has reportedly left 257 people dead, according to Ennahar TV station. This brings the initial death toll of 105 reported by the local media significantly higher.  

The military reported that the Russian-made Ilyushing-76 cargo plane was transporting of troops and equipment when it crashed in Boufarik just after 8 am local time on Wednesday.

Footage captured by witnesses shows a huge plume of



black smoke billowing from an area near the runway.

It was also unclear what type of aircraft went down in a fireball: initial reports stated that it involved an Ilyushin-76 type aircraft, but plane-tracking site AirLive.net reported it was an Il-78 cargo plane.All roads around the airport were closed to help emergency services carry out a desperate rescue mission.An Algerian military source told local news broadcaster Al-Hadath that there are no survivors.