Algerian Plane Crash: Footage Shows Devastating Aftermath of Crash That Killed 257

It is not yet clear what caused the crash.

Footage shows the devastating scene after a plane crashed in North Africa Wednesday, killing 257 people.

Video taken from the ground in Algeria shows clouds of smoke rising from the wreckage as witnesses run to help.

The Algerian military plane carrying soldiers, their families and some refugees crashed into a field shortly after takeoff from Boufarik military airport.

Algeria's Defense Ministry said 247 passengers and 10 crew died in the nation's worst ever aviation disaster. Victims' bodies have been transported to the Algerian army's central hospital to be identified.

The cause of the crash is unclear and an investigation is underway.

The government has declared three days of national mourning.

The U.S. Embassy in Algiers said it offered its "sincere condolences" to those affected by the tragedy.

"The United States deeply appreciates the continued partnership with the Algerian people and government," it said in a statement. "We stand with you in your time of sorrow."

The previous deadliest crash in Algeria was in 2003, when 102 people were killed after plane crashed on a runway in Tamanrasset. Just one person—a soldier—survived.

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