Three killed as military cargo plane crashes in Libya oilfield

Three crewmen were killed on Sunday after their military cargo plane crashed at a major oilfield in Libya, a local official said.

The plane suffered an explosion during take-off at the Sharara oilfield in southern Libya, also injuring a fourth crew member, said Mohammad al-Zardumi, an official who works at the oilfield. So far, the cause of the crash has not yet been established.Brigadier Ahmad Alal, who heads military forces guarding the oilfield, said a technical problem was likely behind the crash of the C-130 plane.In remarks to the Libyan news portal Alwasat, Alal ruled out the possibility that the accident was the result of a terrorist act.A military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the plane had developed an engine problem following take-off.The aircraft belonged to the Libyan army, the official told dpa. It was being used to deliver food supplies to the site.Sharara is the biggest oilfield in Libya. The country's economy, which has been battered by seven years of nationwide strife, relies heavily on revenue from oil sales.