Wreckage of Air Algerie Flight AH2017 found in the Sahara desert

Debris from the Air Algerie, which crashed with 116 people on board, was found in a remote area of Mali.

16:20 25 July 2014

Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has revealed that search teams have found the wreckage of a passenger jet, which crashed in the Sahara desert with 116 people on board, in a remote area of Mali, close to the border of Algeria. There were no reports of survivors.

The McDonnell Douglas MD-83 lost contact on Thursday as it battled through heavy rainstorms sweeping across the Sahara while heading for Algiers. Flight AH5017 took off from the capital of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou and disappeared about 50 minutes after when the pilot was asked to change course due to poor visibility.

Algeria's Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal said "every possibility" was being explored, including terrorism.

French troops are in Mali fighting al-Qaeda's Islamist militants.

However, a senior official said that he doubts the rebels have the capacity and equipment to shoot down a plane.

50 French passengers along with 24 from Burkina Faso, eight Lebanese, six Algerians, five Canadians, four Germans and six Spanish crew are believed to have died in the tragedy.

Until 2008, the aircraft, which was operated by Spanish airline Swiftair for Air Algerie, was used as a private jet by Real Madrid to fly its players to European away games.