ALGIERS, Algeria, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- One person survived when a plane carrying members of the Algerian air force and their families crashed Tuesday, killing at least 77, authorities said.
A spokeswoman for the Civil Protection office said a man was hospitalized with head injuries, CNN reported. Officials said 78 people were on board the plane, a Hercules C-130.
Algerie Presse Service, the state-run news agency, said the crash occurred near Mount Fertas, about 310 miles east of Algiers. The plane had taken off from Tamanrasset, a city in southern Algeria that is the headquarters for operations against al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, and was headed to Constantine in eastern Algeria.
State radio said there was snow in the area where the crash occurred, suggesting bad weather was a factor.
"An investigative team has been created and sent to the scene to determine the cause and the exact circumstances of this tragic accident," a Defense Ministry statement said.
