An Algerian C-130 went down west of the capital City of Algiers on Monday, killing a reported 17 people (though some reports insist that the number is closer to 12)--including a number of persons on the ground.

The military transport impacted in the residential neighborhood of Beni Mered shortly after departing the Boufarik military airport. Fires on the ground destroyed several nearby houses some 25 miles SW of the capital.

Most Were Killed On The Ground

The most recent reports indicate that some five crew members were killed, and that as many as 12 people on the ground, also lost their lives in the accident. Two women and three children are listed among the dead and were reported to have been in the house that the Herc hit. At least five more people on the ground were reported among those injured.

Witness reports lend some suspicion to the possibility of a powerplant emergency... with witnesses claiming that one engine was spouting a considerable amount of flame prior to impact. The aircraft was equipped with both a CVR and an FDR... which have both been recovered.

Last March, an Air Algerie airliner went down, killing 102 people after it impacted in the Sahara Desert. This was the National airlines first accident its inception in 1953.

FMI: www.worldairforces.com/Countries/algeria/alg.html