At least 27 people were killed and 39 injured after a bus travelling from Setif to Algiers lost control and plunged into a deep ravine in northern Algeria. The crash occurred on Friday in the El Karma area, about 50 kilometres from the capital, according to Health Minister Mohamed Seddik Ait Messaoudene. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune declared three days of national mourning.

Civil Protection rescue teams reached the scene at 9:40 a.m. local time after receiving the alert and transported the injured to hospital. The health minister warned that the death toll could rise because many of those injured were in critical condition. Ennahar TV reported that Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb visited several patients receiving treatment at Boumerdes University Hospital.

The cause of the bus leaving the road has not yet been confirmed, and an investigation has begun. Tebboune said irresponsible drivers and others involved were “criminals and terrorists of the road,” and said strict legal action would follow once the investigation is completed. Road safety authorities cite speeding and human error by drivers as leading causes of road crashes in Algeria.