20 killed in Algeria bus accident

At least 20 passengers were killed Tuesday in a road accident in Algeria, media reports said.

The accident occurred in the southern city of Laghouat when two buses collided, leaving more than 20 people dead, and seriously injuring some 30 people, Xinhua reported citing the state-run TV channel said.

It said the toll would likely rise as some of the injured remain in critical condition.

Rescue teams rushed to the scene, providing first aid to the injured, while security services said they were investigating the cause of the crash.

Figures provided by the National Centre for Prevention and Road Safety show that 27,544 road accidents occurred in the country in 2013, killing 3,784 people and injuring 49,120 others, while more than 3,500 others now live with disabilities resulting from road accidents.

A new driving license's demerit point system was approved by the Algerian transport ministry in 2012, but it has yet to be enforced. This system is designed to curb the alarming increase of deadly car accidents in the North African nation.