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Rescuers are seen around the wreckage of an Algerian army plane which crashed near the Boufarik airbase from where the plane had taken off on April 11, 2018. Image Credit: AFP

A plane crash in Algeria has reportedly left 251 people dead, according to Ennahar TV station. This brings the initial death toll of 105 to a significantly higher number.  

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

RT France channel, quoting state-owned APS and Algerian TV, reported that the military aircraft went down shortly after take-off — about 30km from the capital Algiers.

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.

As many as 14 ambulances and 10 fire engines were dispatched to the horror blaze and dozens of bodies were pulled from the wreckage, according to local reports. 

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.

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Firefighters and soldiers at the scene of the plane crash near Boufarik military base near the Algerian capital, Algiers. Image Credit: AP
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A military plane carrying about 200 government troops reportedly crashed near Algiers. The Ilyushin IL76 crashed at Boufarik Airport. Picture of the plane taken before the crash. Image Credit: Twitter
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