By Hamid Ould Ahmed ALGIERS (Reuters) - More than 250 people including Western Sahara refugees were killed when a military plane crashed near Algeria's capital on Wednesday, state media said, with witnesses saying they saw a wing catch fire shortly after the plane took off. Dozens of firefighters, rescue workers and military officials worked around the blackened fuselage of the aircraft, which had been ripped open near its wings. "This morning at around 8:00 an Ilyushin model military transport plane ... crashed directly after takeoff in an agricultural field that was clear of residents," Major General Boualem Madi told state TV.



More...