257 people were killed when an Algerian military plane crashed shortly after taking off from an army airport in the north of the country, local officials confirmed.
Footage from the scene showed the emergency services rushing to the site, where thick plumes of smoke rise from the debris.
Some survivors of the plane crash at Boufarik Airport have been rescued, according to local emergency services.
The jet crashed on Wednesday morning, shortly after taking off from Boufarik Airport, which is the base for the Air Transport fleet of the Algerian Air Force.
The jet crashed in an agricultural area and the cause of the incident is as yet unclear, officials said.
The crashed plane was a Russian-made Ilyushin Il-76 strategic airlifter, Algerian media report.
The base is only 20km from the Algerian capital of Algiers.
