At Least 35 People Killed After Buses Collide in Syria, State Media Reports

Damascus: At least 35 people have been killed, and 30 have been injured after two buses collided on a highway linking the Syrian capital with the eastern province of Deir el-Zour on Saturday, state media reported.

The mishap happened between Palmyra and al-Sukhnah. One of the buses was hauling members of the Internal Security Forces, while the other was carrying civilians, according to the Ministry of Interior.

Ambulances have been sent to the location, the ministry reported.

Several helicopters were also dispatched to the crash site to transport the injured to Homs Military Hospital, according to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

The terrible condition of Syria's civilian infrastructure after a nearly 14-year civil war is reflected in the highway's notoriously low safety standards.

Over 2,000 traffic accidents happened between January and the end of September, according to Minister of Disaster Management and Emergency Response Raed al-Saleh in October. He also stated that these accidents were “among the leading causes of death in Syria.”