7 killed in bus-car collision in S. Algeria

ALGIERS — Seven people were killed in a collision between a passenger bus and a car in southern Algeria on Thursday, the Civil Protection Department said in a statement.

The accident occurred on a road in El Hadjira, Touggourt Province, about 600 km southeast of the capital Algiers. The collision set the bus on fire, resulting in the deaths of three women, two men, and two children.

The victims’ bodies were taken to the nearest hospital, according to the statement.

Official reports attribute more than 90 percent of traffic accidents in this North African country over the past decade to human error, mainly non-compliance with traffic laws. Poor road and vehicle conditions have been cited as contributing factors to a lesser extent.

XINHUA