Syria bus crash kills at least 35 on Damascus-Deir ez-Zor highway

A Syria bus crash killed at least 35 people on Saturday after two passenger buses collided on a highway in the country’s center, Al Jazeera reported. Many others were injured, according to the report, making the collision a major road disaster on a key route between eastern Syria and the capital.

The crash happened on the Damascus-Deir ez-Zor highway between Palmyra and Al-Sukhnah, Al Jazeera reported. The highway runs for more than 400km and links eastern Syria with Damascus, according to the same report.

Syrian state news agency SANA said several helicopters were sent to the scene to evacuate injured people for medical treatment. The injured were being taken to Homs Military Hospital, according to SANA.

Where did the Syria bus crash happen?

Al Jazeera reported that the collision occurred on the Damascus-Deir ez-Zor highway in central Syria, between the cities of Palmyra and Al-Sukhnah. The route is an important road connection from the east of the country to Damascus.

The report did not give a cause for the collision. It also did not provide an updated number of injured people beyond saying many had been hurt.

The involvement of helicopters indicated a large emergency response at the crash site, according to details reported by SANA. The state agency said the aircraft were used for medical evacuation to Homs Military Hospital.

Palmyra and Al-Sukhnah sit along the central stretch of the highway named in the report. The road’s length and its connection to Damascus make it one of the routes linking communities in eastern Syria with the capital, according to Al Jazeera.

Authorities had not announced further details in the information reported, including the identities of those killed or the conditions of the injured. Al Jazeera said more information was expected.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.