A devastating bus accident in Algiers left 18 people dead and nine others injured after the vehicle plunged from a bridge into the Oued El Harrach river, local media reported.
The bus veered off the road in the Mohammadia district late Friday and crashed into the river, according to Algeria’s state press agency.
Rescue Operations
Civil Defence deployed a massive response team, including:
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25 ambulances
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16 divers
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4 boats
Recovery efforts lasted through the night.
Local residents rushed to the scene before emergency crews arrived, jumping into the ravine to rescue passengers from the wreckage. Officials confirmed that most victims drowned, and two of the injured remain in critical condition at a local hospital.
Footage showed rescuers lifting fragments of the shattered white bus from the water, its windows blown out and doors ripped away. Dozens of emergency vehicles lined the riverside as divers continued searching for victims.
In response, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune declared a one-day mourning period across Algeria to honor the victims of the crash.
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