Algerian airliner crashes in desert, killing 102

An Algerian airliner crashed shortly after take-off today, killing 102 people on board, the airline said.

An Algerian airliner crashed shortly after take-off today, killing 102 people on board, the airline said.

One person survived.

The crash of the Air Algerie Boeing 737 occurred minutes after the plane left Tamanrasset bound for Algiers, the capital of the North African country.

There were 97 passengers on board and six crew members, airline officials said. The cause of the crash was not immediately known.

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Six Europeans were among the 97 passengers but their nationalities were not immediately known. The remaining passengers and crew were Algerians.

Tamanrasset, in the Hoggar Mountains, is a stop for Sahara Desert travellers in a region of ancient archaeological sites and prehistoric paintings and engravings.

Tamanrasset is about 990 miles south of Algiers.

AP