A devastating military plane crash in Algeria has claimed the lives of 257 people, including soldiers, their families, and members of the Polisario Front.
The aircraft, a Soviet-designed Il-76 transport plane, went down minutes after departing from Boufarik military airport, located approximately 30 kilometers from the capital, Algiers.
According to Algeria’s Defense Ministry, the crash resulted in the deaths of 247 passengers and 10 crew members.
Among those on board were 26 members of the Polisario Front, a group advocating for Western Sahara’s independence from Morocco. The plane was en route to Bechar, a city in southwestern Algeria, when the tragedy occurred.
Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the accident.
The state news agency reported that emergency teams were swiftly deployed to the crash site, but no survivors were found.
The Algerian government has launched an investigation to uncover the circumstances surrounding the disaster.
The incident marks one of the deadliest aviation disasters in Algeria’s history, prompting an outpouring of condolences from international leaders and renewed scrutiny of the safety standards governing military flights in the region.
