At least 35 killed in Syria bus crash as death toll rises

At least 35 people were killed and 30 others injured after two passenger buses collided in Syria on Saturday, in one of the deadliest road accidents reported in the country in recent times.The collision involved a bus carrying members of the Internal Security Forces and a civilian passenger bus. (Representational image\Unsplash )The crash took place on the Deir Az Zor–Damascus road, a major highway extending over 400 km and connecting eastern Syria with the capital. The accident occurred on the stretch between al-Sukhnah and Palmyra. Also read | At least 16 killed after passenger bus loses control, crashes in Indonesia's Java island One of the buses involved in the collision was carrying members of the Internal Security Forces, while the other was carrying civilian passengers, Syria’s Ministry of Interior said as per Al Jazeera. Emergency teams deployed after deadly collisionFollowing the accident, ambulances were rushed to the crash site to provide medical assistance and transport the injured.Also read | British, Chinese nationals among 19 killed, dozens injured in massive Nepal bus accidentThe state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that several helicopters were also deployed to evacuate injured passengers. The victims were transported from the crash site for treatment at Homs Military Hospital.Accident highlights Syria’s road safety challengesThe crash has once again drawn attention to the condition of Syria’s transport infrastructure, which has suffered after nearly 14 years of civil war.The Deir Az Zor–Damascus highway has been described as having poor safety standards, adding to concerns over road conditions and accident risks in the country.In October, Minister of Disaster Management and Emergency Response Raed al-Saleh said more than 2,000 road accidents had taken place between January and the end of September.