27 killed, 39 injured after passenger bus plunges into ravine in Algeria

At least 27 people were killed and 39 others injured after a passenger bus veered off a mountain road and plunged into a ravine in northern Algeria on Friday (July 31).

The crash occurred near El Karma, about 50 kilometers east of Algiers, as the bus was travelling from Sétif to the capital, according to Algeria's Civil Protection Agency.

Emergency responders rushed to the scene, recovering victims from the wreckage and transporting the injured to nearby hospitals by ambulance.

Algeria's Health Ministry said several of the injured remain in critical condition, warning that the death toll could rise.

Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb visited Boumerdes University Hospital to oversee the emergency response and instructed medical teams to provide the highest level of care for the injured.

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune declared three days of national mourning following the disaster and extended condolences to the victims' families.

In a statement posted on social media, Tebboune described those responsible for deadly road accidents as "road terrorists" rather than ordinary offenders, pledging a full investigation and strict legal action against anyone found responsible.

Authorities have yet to determine the exact cause of the crash.

However, Algeria's road safety agency said excessive speeding and driver negligence remain the leading causes of fatal traffic accidents in the country.

Official figures show that 3,838 people were killed and more than 37,000 injured in road accidents across Algeria last year.

The latest tragedy ranks among the country's deadliest road accidents in recent years.

In August last year, 18 people were killed and 21 injured when a bus plunged into a ravine near Algiers. Another 14 people died in December after a bus overturned in the southwestern province of Béchar.

Source: Al Jazeera