China 'deeply saddened' by Algerian plane crash

China has said it is "deeply saddened" by the crash of Air Algerie flight AH5017, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a statement on Monday.

Qin extended condolences to the victims' families and expressed sympathy for them.

Operated by Algeria's flagship carrier, the MD-83 plane with 112 passengers and six Spanish crew members, crashed in the Malian border town of Gossi on Thursday after taking off from Ouagadougou Airport in Burkina Faso. All the 118 people aboard were killed.

Qin said the Foreign Ministry and relevant embassies started an emergency mechanism immediately after the incident, adding that no Chinese citizens were aboard the plane.