At least 25 people have died after a passenger bus lost control, overturned and plunged into a ravine in northern Algeria on Friday, triggering a major rescue operation that left dozens of injured passengers receiving treatment in nearby hospitals.
The crash happened in Boumerdes province, about 55 kilometres east of the capital, Algiers. Algeria's Civil Protection Department said the accident occurred at 9:41 a.m. local time on National Road No. 24 near the village of El Karma.
Officials said the bus was travelling from the eastern province of Setif when it veered off the road before overturning and falling into the ravine. By Friday, authorities had confirmed that 25 people had lost their lives while 44 others were injured.
Emergency responders were dispatched to the scene soon after the accident. The Civil Protection Department deployed three intervention trucks and 11 ambulances to support rescue efforts, with teams continuing to evacuate victims and transport the injured to nearby hospitals for medical care.
Authorities have not established what caused the crash, and investigations are continuing.
Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb later visited the scene, where he met emergency service workers leading the rescue operation. The damaged bus was seen lying at the bottom of the ravine as recovery efforts continued.
Friday's tragedy is the latest in a series of fatal road accidents in Algeria. In August last year, 18 people were killed in a bus crash near Algiers, while another 14 people died in December after a bus overturned in the southern region of Bechar.
Road accidents continue to claim thousands of lives across the country. According to Algeria's road safety authorities, 3,838 people were killed and more than 37,000 others suffered injuries in traffic accidents recorded last year.