ALGORTS - About 257 passengers died when Ilyushin Il-76 military transport plane crashed near the capital Algeria.
The plane crashed near Boufarik airport, southwest of Algiers, yesterday. A moment the plane crashed, many people gathered near the crashed and burned plane. Many bodies of passengers were evacuated with white bodies.
Algeria's state-run television network reported 257 people were killed in the crash. The Ministry of Defense (Kemhan) Algeria revealed the number of martyrs who died was 247 passengers and 10 cabin crew, mostly army and also family. "The body of the victim was taken to the Military Central Hospital in Ain Naadja for identification," explains Kemhan Algeria.
Reported by Reuters, Kemhan revealed the military transport plane was about to fly to Tindouf, the Algerian border region with Western Sahara. "The crash happened to the airport perimeter," the Algerian Defense Ministry said. They also expressed grief for the families of the victims
Spokesman of the Algerian Civil Protection Agency Mohammed Achour revealed that the plane that experienced the accident was Ilyushin II-76 made in Russia. "The plane was carrying troops and members of his family," he told the Guardian.
The military said it was investigating the cause of the accident. "General Military Commander Gen. Gaid Salah has been reviewing the crash site," the Algerian military statement said. Salah has ordered a deep investment of the accident.
Meanwhile, a member of the ruling party in Algeria, FLN, Djamel Ould Abbes revealed to Ennahar television station that 26 members of Polisario fighters were also killed. Polisario is a group that fights for independence in the Western Sahara, an area which is also claimed by Morocco.
Tindouf is an area where thousands of refugees from Western Sahara. Most of the inhabitants there are supporters of the Polisario. The United Nations (UN) has tried to mediate tensions in the region for years, but has always failed.
Tensions in the Western Sahara region have occurred since the Spanish colonization of the area died in 1975. Morocco claims the region. While Polisario formed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in Western Sahara. Polisario fully supported Algeria.
The new Ilyushin II-76 aircraft was already old. The aircraft was manufactured in the 1970s. The aircraft used as a means of transportation was reportedly not getting good care. One of the advantages of the aircraft is being able to take off and land on an uneven runway.
Ilyushin Il-76 known as NATO by the name of Candid is a four-turbofan aircraft engine designed by the Ilyushin peasant company. The aircraft was first used as a commercial transport in 1967 to replace Antonov An-12.
The aircraft was originally used to get heavy machinery into the interior. Later, Ilyushin Il-76 made a military version and is widely known and used in Europe, Asia, and Africa. It is commonly used as a fuel filler tanker and command center.