At least 25 people killed in Algeria bus crash

What the report says

At least 25 people were killed and dozens more injured when a passenger bus overturned near Boumerdes, a coastal town east of Algeria’s capital, Algiers, on Friday, according to local officials reported by BBC Africa. The country’s civil protection department said the cause of the crash was not yet known. Injured passengers were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, and emergency crews responded at the scene.

BBC Africa reported that the overturned coach was seen at the bottom of a ravine. Algerian Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb visited both the crash site and a hospital where some of the injured were being treated, and he spoke with emergency service workers during the visit. The report did not give additional details about the victims or the condition of those hospitalized.

The crash adds to a series of deadly road accidents in Algeria. As background, BBC Africa noted that previous bus crashes in the country have caused significant loss of life, including incidents near Algiers in August last year and in the southern region of Bechar in December. Road safety authorities in Algeria have also said traffic accidents caused thousands of deaths and injuries last year, underscoring the scale of the country’s road safety challenge.