14 killed, 34 injured in passenger bus crash in Algeria

Fourteen people were killed and 34 others injured when a passenger bus overturned in Algeria's western Beni Abbes province, the Civil Protection Service said.

The crash occurred around 1:50 p.m. local time (12:50 GMT) on National Road 50 near the municipality of Tabelbala, approximately 1,200 km southwest of the capital, Algiers. The bus reportedly flipped onto its roof while traveling on the route linking Bechar and Tindouf.

Rescue teams provided immediate medical attention to the injured at the scene, with several critically injured passengers transported to a nearby hospital. Authorities have opened an investigation into the cause of the crash.

Traffic accidents are frequent in the North African nation. On August 15, a passenger bus plunged off a bridge in the El Harrach area east of Algiers, killing 18 people.