Driver in deadly Algeria bus crash was on drugs, investigators say

The driver of a bus that plunged into a ravine in northern Algeria, killing 28 people, was under the influence of drugs and travelling at more than twice the speed limit, prosecutors said after a preliminary investigation. Authorities also found the vehicle was carrying passengers well beyond its authorised capacity.

Algerian prosecutors said on Sunday that the driver of the bus involved in Friday’s deadly crash near Boumerdes was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the accident.

Investigators also found two psychotropic pills in the driver’s possession. The driver was among those killed when the bus veered off the road and plunged into a ravine.

Speeding and overcrowding

The preliminary inquiry found the bus was travelling at 121.63 kilometres per hour on a stretch of road with a 60 km/h speed limit between Boumerdes and the neighbouring town of Zemmouri.

Authorities also said the vehicle was carrying 64 people, despite having a maximum authorised capacity of 51 passengers, including the driver. The latest official toll stands at 28 dead and 36 injured.

President vows accountability

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune pledged that those responsible would face justice once the investigation is completed.

He said the authorities would act with “an iron fist” after establishing the full circumstances surrounding one of the country’s deadliest road accidents in recent years.

Road safety concerns

Road safety authorities say human error remains the leading cause of traffic accidents in Algeria, with speeding, driver inattention, dangerous overtaking and reckless manoeuvres accounting for more than 96 percent of crashes.

Official figures show that 3,838 people were killed and more than 37,000 injured in 26,976 road accidents across the country in 2025, underscoring the persistent challenge of improving road safety.