At least 27 people have lost their lives this Friday and another 42 have been injured after a serious bus accident in the province of Bumerdés, located in the north of Algeria, according to the balance provided by the country's Civil Protection services.
The vehicle crashed on national road 24, heading towards El Kerma, on the outskirts of the municipality of Bumerdés, when it reportedly fell into a ravine, which prompted a significant deployment of emergency teams.
The Civil Protection forces arrived at the accident site around 9:41 a.m. (local time), where they began rescue and care tasks for the victims. They have detailed that three trucks and 11 ambulances were mobilized in the area to address the situation.
"Rescue and medical evacuation operations for the injured to hospitals are ongoing," Civil Protection has stated on its social media, emphasizing the magnitude of the operation activated on the ground.
The president of Algeria, Abdelmayid Tebune, has expressed his condolences to the families and loved ones of the deceased. In a statement issued by the Presidency, he assured that "justice will be served with an iron fist and without mercy once the investigations clarify the circumstances of the event."
On the other hand, the Algerian Prime Minister, Sifi Ghrieb, has traveled to the accident site and subsequently visited the hospital to see the injured and learn firsthand about their health status, according to the news agency APS.