RABAT -- A military plane crashed Tuesday in a mountainous area in south of Morocco, killing 78 people and wounding three others, the official news agency MAP said.

The agency said the Royal Armed Forces C-130 jet, carrying military personnel, crashed into a mountain as it prepared to land at Guelmim's military air base. Guelmim is located about 830 kilometers southwest of the capital Rabat.

The plane crashed after taking off from Dakhla and was heading for the northern city of Kinitra.