Bamako, July 25 (RHC)-- Mali's president says the wreckage of the Air Algérie Flight AH5017 has been found in a remote area of his country.  Reuters quoted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita: "I have just been informed that the wreckage has been found between Aguelhok and Kidal."
 
Nearly an hour after takeoff, the plane disappeared from radar screens early on Thursday and was reported to have crashed after crossing the airspace of Niger's capital, Niamey.
 
The plane was en route from Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou to the Algerian capital city of Algiers with 116 people on board, including 51 French nationals.  According to reports, minutes after takeoff the flight requested to change route because of a storm.
 
One of Algeria's worst air disasters occurred in February, when a C-130 military aircraft carrying 78 people crashed in poor weather in the mountainous northeast, killing more than 70 people.