Algeria's PM rules out Air Algerie crash is act of terrorism

Algeria's Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal on Saturday ruled out that the Air Algerie jetliner that crashed in northern Mali desert on Thursday was an act of terrorism.
"Weather conditions were severe due to blocks of clouds, strong winds and dust storms," which impacted air navigation, Sellal told reporters during a visit to Kosantina, eastern Algeria.
The MD-83 flight 5017 had at least 116 people on board when it left Burkina Faso for Algeria, and disappeared from radar after diverting from its planned course due to bad weather.
The plane was operated by Air Algerie but chartered from Spanish airline Swiftair.
The Algerian Prime Minister ruled out the plane crash was an act of terrorism.
"Striking a plane with a rocket when it is 10,000 meters high is really a hard matter," he said, adding that investigations are being conducted by all the concerned parties, Algeria, Mali, France and Burkina Faso, Boeing planemaker and Swifair. The plane had been subjected to technical aid in France recently.
Algeria usually hires planes for the summer season to meet the rising numbers of passengers. This summer it has hired five jetliners.
Meanwhile, Air Algeria said today that there were 110 passengers on the MD-83, besides six Spanish pilots. There were two Algerian pilots and a relief activist among the passengers.
Amon the victims, there were also 51 French people, 28 from Burkina Faso, six Lebanese and an Egyptian.