At least 257 people are dead after an Algerian military plane crashed just minutes after take-off, killing everyone on board, according to reports.

The transport plane crashed into a field near the Boufarik military airport near the capital Algiers and burst into flames just before 8am local time on Wednesday.

One report, quoting a military source, said there were no survivors.

Footage posted online showed a huge plume of smoke rising into the air above the site of the air disaster.

Reports said the aircraft was a Russian-made Ilyushin Il-76 transport plane that crashed shortly after taking off on a flight bound for Bechar in the south-west of the North African country.

Dozens of emergency response vehicles, including at least 14 ambulances, were sent to the scene in Blida province in northern Algeria, ALG 24 reported.

The report said 200 soldiers were on board the plane for a scheduled hour-long flight.

It said at least 105 people were dead.

A military source told Al Arabiya News Channel that there were no survivors.

Read more on Mirror.co.uk.