Deadly Bus Collision in Southern Algeria Claims 34 Lives

A catastrophic highway collision in southern Algeria between a bus and a pickup truck has resulted in the deaths of 34 people and the injury of another 12, according to a statement released by Algerian Civil Defense on Wednesday. The accident occurred around 4 am in Tamanrasset province in the Sahara Desert, causing a large fire that engulfed both vehicles and entrapped all the passengers.

Emergency workers were pictured online removing victims in body bags from the entangled wreckage of the charred bus and truck. The driver’s side of the truck was notably crushed by the impact. Investigators are currently looking into the cause of the crash.

This incident follows closely on the heels of another bus accident in northern Algeria just two weeks ago that killed eight people and injured 17. The official Algeria Press Service reported earlier this month that more than 300 people had died in over 11,000 traffic accidents throughout Algeria between May 1 and July 11.