At Least 35 Killed After Two Buses Collide in Central Syria

SANA

At least 35 people have been killed and dozens injured after two buses collided on a highway in Syria.

At least 35 people have been killed and dozens injured after two buses collided on a highway linking the Syrian capital with the eastern province of Deir ez-Zur on Saturday, state media reported.

Around 30 people were injured in the crash between a civilian bus and an Interior Ministry bus on the desert highway, the SANA news agency cited a health ministry official as saying.

Syrian military helicopters were reported to be involved in the operation at the scene.

The Syrian Civil Defence, operating under the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management, said its teams had brought the fire caused by the collision under control. Emergency crews continued to administer first aid to the injured before transferring them to Palmyra Hospital for treatment.

Working alongside the relevant authorities, rescue teams are also recovering the bodies of those killed, securing the scene and dealing with the aftermath of the crash. Civil Defence teams from Palmyra were the first to respond to the incident and later requested reinforcements from neighbouring centres in Deir ez-Zur.

The Deir ez-Zur–Damascus highway is widely known locally as the "Road of Death" because of the high number of fatal traffic accidents recorded there in recent years. The route's poor safety record has been attributed to its narrow, single-carriageway design, the absence of a central median separating opposing traffic, and deteriorating infrastructure, including numerous potholes.



PUKMEDIA