Friday, 13/04/2018 17:15 (GMT+7)
Algeria’s President Bouteflika announced three days of state funeral after a deadly military plane crash which killed at least 257 people.
(Photo: Alg24)
Flags flew at half mast on public buildings and foreign embassies in the capital on April 12th as government departments observed a minute's silence.
Earlier, on April 11th, at least 257 people including 247 passengers and 10 crew members, were killed in a military plane crash near Algeria’s capital, according to the Algerian Defence Ministry.
The aircraft crashed near the Boufarik Air Base, between Algiers and the city of Bilda, according to state-run Radio Algerie.
The military transport plane crashed into a field shortly after take-off.
The plane crash was the deadliest since 2014, when 298 people were killed when a Malaysian airlines jet was shot down over Ukraine.
Emergency services converged on the area near the Boufarik military base after the crash.
Algeria’s Defence Ministry has announced it is investigating the cause of the crash, and that General Gaid Salah, head of the army, had gone to the crash site./.
Compiled by BTA