By Nana Karikari, Senior Global Affairs Correspondent
At least 25 people died and 44 others sustained injuries in Algeria on Friday when a passenger bus plunged into a deep ravine. The vehicle was traveling from Setif province when it skidded off a bypass road in the Rahmoun El Karma area of Boumerdes municipality. This coastal town lies about 50 kilometers east of the capital Algiers. The vehicle fell down an embankment for reasons that remain unknown. Casualty numbers rose steadily throughout the day from an initial report of 11 dead and 38 injured. Rescue teams rushed to the site to handle ongoing search and evacuation operations. A constant flow of ambulances transported the wounded to nearby hospitals for urgent medical care.
Official Response And National Mourning
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune responded swiftly to the national tragedy. He declared three days of national mourning according to state television broadcasts. The president also announced harsh consequences for anyone found responsible for the disaster. Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb traveled directly to the crash site to inspect the wreckage. He spoke with emergency service workers while the overturned coach lay visible at the bottom of the ravine. Nassim Bernawi, deputy director for information and awareness at Algeria’s Civil Protection, provided details on the unfolding situation. He told dpa that the bus had veered off the road before plunging down an embankment in Boumerdes province, which borders the Algiers province to the east and is about 50 kilometres from the capital, Algiers. Rescue teams were continuing search, rescue and evacuation operations at the scene, transferring the injured to nearby hospitals, Bernawi said. Officials warned that the casualty toll remains preliminary and could rise further as emergency operations continue.
Broader Context Of Road Safety
The latest catastrophe highlights persistent safety challenges on North African roadways. Official figures from road safety authorities indicate that 3,838 people died in traffic accidents last year. More than 37,000 individuals suffered injuries during the same period. Public transport accidents have previously plagued the region with severe consequences. On Aug. 15, 2025, a public transport bus crashed through the safety barrier of a bridge in Algiers and plunged into a river into which the city’s sewage is discharged. That specific incident resulted in 18 deaths and 21 injuries. A separate transportation disaster occurred in December of that year when 14 people died after their bus overturned in the southern region of Bechar. Emergency responders remain deployed across various sectors as authorities investigate the latest crash near the capital.
As rescue operations wind down and the investigation opens into accountability, this tragedy underscores an urgent regional need for comprehensive infrastructure upgrades and stringent transit safety reforms to protect commuters across the nation.
