Algerian bus accident leaves 18 dead, 24 injured
A tragic accident occurred in Algeria on 15th August when a crowded passenger bus plunged off a bridge and into the Oued El Harrach river in the capital, Algiers, reported Algerian outlet TSA on 16th August. 18 people have died, and 24 are injured.
Algeria is in mourning, and its flag is flying at half mast at the decree of the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
The final injury and death toll was confirmed by Lieutenant Nasim Bernawi, deputy director of statistics and information at the Civil Protection Directorate, during the night following the incident. Injured victims were taken to a local hospital in stable conditions. The deceased were taken to a mortuary at the same facility, reported the outlet.
The accident occurred after 5pm, as Civil Protection confirmed having intervened at 5:45pm at the scene of the tragedy in an attempt to rescue passengers trapped inside the bus.
Oued El Harrach is notorious for its highly polluted waters and foul odours. A depollution project is under way but is yet to be completed.
According to survivors, the “driver started shouting, then the bus plunged into the Oued”. Once on the bridge, the bus, which was travelling along the Réghaïa – Central Algiers route, suddenly veered off course, struck the bridge’s safety barrier, and plummeted to the waters below.
The driver explained that the steering on the bus locked, leaving the overcrowded bus vulnerable to disaster. He revealed that he works at ExtraNet and every Friday drives a bus to ease financial strains. He tried to save passengers, according to the outlet, but couldn’t because of the injuries he suffered. “I was in pain,” he told the Director General of National Security and the Chief of Staff of the President, who arrived at the site of the accident.
According to survivors, two girls on board refused to come out because “their mother hadn’t survived” and “some people risked their lives to try to save passengers” despite not being equipped to do so.
The Minister of Transport, Saïd Sayoud, blamed excessive bus speed in Algeria. “90% of road accidents in Algeria are due to speeding”. He added that “84,000 buses need to be replaced”, responding to criticism about the dilapidated state of passenger buses in Algeria.
TSA, Maghrebi
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