STORY: At least 18 people died and 23 were injured after a bus plunged into the Oued El Harrach river in Algiers on Friday (August 15), an Algerian Civil Protection official said.

“The toll stands at 18 deaths, 14 men and four women, and 23 injured, three in critical condition,” said Commander Nassim Bernaoui, deputy director of Statistics and Information at the Algerian Civil Protection. He added that the police are still identifying the bodies and the bodies will be transported to various hospitals in Algiers.

A large number of police vehicles and ambulances can be seen on the riverbank and the bridge above as search and rescue operations for survivors continued into the night.

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune expressed condolences to the victims’ families and called for patience for relatives and a speedy recovery for the injured.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: ALGIERS, ALGERIA (AUGUST 15, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF AMBULANCES, ALGERIAN CIVIL PROTECTION AND POLICE GATHERING BY OUED EL HARRACH RIVER AFTER BUS FELL INTO IT

2. VARIOUS OF ALGERIAN CIVIL PROTECTION PERSONNEL ON INFLATABLE BOATS PARTICIPATING IN SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS

3. CRASHED BUS IN RIVER, CIVIL PROTECTION AND POLICE GATHERING NEARBY

4. AMBULANCES AND CIVIL PROTECTION VEHICLE ON BRIDGE OVER RIVER

5. POLICE AND AMBULANCES AT CRASH SITE

6. VARIOUS OF POLICE AND RESCUE PERSONNEL GATHERED AT SITE

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF STATISTICS AND INFORMATION AT ALGERIAN CIVIL PROTECTION, COMMANDER NASSIM BERNAOUI, SAYING:

"The toll stands at 18 deaths, 14 men and four women, and 23 injured, three in critical condition. The injured are being treated on the spot and will be quickly transferred to Salim Zemirli Hospital. The bodies are being handled by the police, who are still identifying them and transporting all bodies to various hospitals in Algiers."

8. (NIGHT SHOT) CIVIL PROTECTION AND POLICE GATHERING BY CRASHED BUS ON RIVERBANK

9. (NIGHT SHOT) RESCUERS INSPECTING INTERIOR OF CRASHED BUS

10. (NIGHT SHOTS) VARIOUS OF RESCUERS ON INFLATABLE BOATS SEARCHING FOR SURVIVORS IN RIVER

11. (NIGHT SHOT) RESCUERS AND POLICE GATHERING BY RIVER