Disasters & Incidents
Algeria bus crash driver was on drugs, prosecutors say
Algerian prosecutors said preliminary findings showed the driver of a bus that crashed into a ravine near Boumerdes was under the influence of drugs, in a crash that killed 28 people and injured 36 others.
The public prosecutor's office in Boumerdes said the bus was carrying 64 people when it crashed on Friday on the road linking Boumerdes and Zemmouri, above its stated capacity of 51.
Prosecutors said the investigation found the driver was under the influence of narcotics and that two pills of psychotropic substances were found in his pocket. They also said the bus was travelling at nearly 122 kilometres per hour on a road where the speed limit was 60 kph.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune had pledged that justice would act without leniency once the investigation into the crash was completed.
Algerian road safety authorities say human factors, including speeding and inattention, are the main cause of crashes in the country. They said 3,838 people died and more than 37,000 were injured in traffic accidents in 2025.
Update
Algerian prosecutors said preliminary findings concluded the bus driver was under the influence of narcotics.
Prosecutors said two pills of psychotropic substances were found in the driver's pocket.
The latest toll was 28 dead and 36 injured.
Prosecutors said the bus was carrying 64 people, above its capacity of 51.
Investigators said the bus was travelling at nearly 122 kph on a road with a 60 kph speed limit.
Source note: AFP news report published on 2 August 2026 at 18:24:25 UTC.
Update
Algeria's civil defence agency raised the death toll to at least 25.
The agency said at least 44 people were injured.
The agency said rescue teams responded at about 9:40 am local time and warned the toll could rise further.
Source note: AFP news report published on 31 July 2026 at 12:15:58 UTC.
Update
The bus left the road near Boumerdes, east of Algiers.
Dozens of people were wounded.
Algeria's civil defence agency said the cause was unknown.
The agency said the death toll was expected to rise.
Source note: AFP news report published on 31 July 2026 at 11:35:12 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The findings are described as preliminary.
The supplied material does not say whether the driver survived or faces charges.
The earlier injury toll of at least 44 differs from the latest toll of 36 injured; the source material does not explain the change.
Source
AFP news report published on .