77 dead in Algeria plane crash, one survivor

Seventy-seven people died when a military aircraft crashed in Algeria on Tuesday and just one survived, the defence ministry said, adding that they accounted for all 78 people on board.

"The crash left 77 people dead and one seriously injured survivor, who was taken to the Constantine region military hospital," said a ministry statement carried by the national APS news agency.

The ministry said that they accounted for all 74 passengers and four crew on board, far fewer than the 103 people originally reported to be travelling on the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft.

No explanation was immediately given for the discrepancy.