102 Killed in Air Algerie Plane Crash

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, March 07, 2003

102 Killed in Air Algerie Plane Crash

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Airplane crash in Algeria kills 102

Ninety-seven passengers and five crew members on board of an Air Algerie Boeing 737 plane were killed Thursday when the plane crashed minutes after take-off from Tamanrasset in southern Algeria, said an airline official.

Fifty-nine passengers of the plane were going to Ghardaia, 600 kilometers south of the Algerian capital Algiers and 38 others were going to Algiers, the official told the Algerian radio.

Two pilots and four stewards were also on board, he said.

One crew member survived, but was in critical condition and hospitalized in Tamanrasset, he added.

He also said that the crash, which occurred at around 3:45 p.m.(14:45 GMT), was caused by technical failure.

Tamanrasset, 1,900 kilometers south of Algiers, is a major stopfor travelers in the Sahara Desert and known for its ancient archaeological sites and prehistoric paintings and engravings.

Algerian Interior Minister Yazid Zehouni and Transport MinisterAbdelmalek Sellal have left for Tamanrasset while the Algerian government has also set up a crisis unit.

A technical committee has been set up to begin an investigation. Another crisis team has been set up at Algiers airport to keep the families of those aboard the plane informed.

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