At least 34 people were killed, and 12 others were injured when a bus collided with a pickup truck on a highway in southern Algeria on Wednesday, according to officials.
According to a statement from the fire department, the incident occurred around 4 a.m. (0300 GMT) in Tamanrasset, located around 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) south of the capital Algiers.
A fire followed the collision; all passengers were caught in the blaze, which led to the death of 34 persons, according to the statement. The official said that the cause of the crash was being investigated.
In Algeria, fatal car accidents happen frequently. According to official reports, 907 persons died in traffic accidents in 2022.
While in a similar incident about two weeks ago, a bus accident in Bordj Bou Arréridj, in northern Algeria, claimed the lives of 8 people and injured 17 others.
Between May 1 and July 11 alone, nearly 11,000 road incidents resulted in more than 300 fatalities throughout Algeria, according to a report from the government-run APS news agency earlier this month.
