ALGIERS, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- At least 12 people were killed, and 23 others injured Saturday when a passenger bus overturned in Algeria's western Beni Abbes province, the Civil Protection service said.
The crash happened around 1:50 p.m. local time (1250 GMT) on National Road 50 near the municipality of Tabelbala, about 1,200 km southwest of the country's capital, Algiers.
Rescue crews treated the wounded at the scene before taking several in critical condition to a nearby hospital. Authorities opened an investigation into the cause of the crash.
Traffic accidents are common in the North African nation. On Aug. 15, a passenger bus plunged off a bridge in the El Harrach area east of the capital, killing 18 people.
Algeria's Ministry of Public Works and Transport has said most traffic accidents in the country are linked to human error, reckless driving, and inadequate vehicle maintenance.
Meanwhile, transport unions and bus operators have long blamed the rising number of crashes on aging transportation infrastructure and government policies, including a ban on importing buses and spare parts.
