Boumerdes Bus Disaster: Prosecutor Reveals Driver Was Under the Influence, Bus Was Overloaded and Travelling at Twice the Legal Speed

Boumerdes Bus Disaster: Prosecutor Reveals Driver Was Under the Influence, Bus Was Overloaded and Travelling at Twice the Legal Speed

Preliminary findings of the judicial investigation indicate that the driver tested positive for multiple hallucinogenic substances, the bus was carrying passengers beyond its legal capacity and was travelling at more than double the permitted speed, as authorities pledge to hold all those responsible fully accountable.

By Dr. Hana Saada

ALGIERS — Algeria’s judicial authorities have disclosed the first official findings into the devastating bus crash that claimed dozens of lives in Boumerdes, revealing what prosecutors described as serious violations that may have directly contributed to one of the country’s deadliest road tragedies in recent years.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Prosecutor General at the Boumerdes Court announced that the death toll has risen to 28 fatalities, while 36 injured victims continue to receive medical treatment in hospitals.

The accident occurred at approximately 9:30 a.m. on Friday along the national road linking the municipalities of Boumerdes and Zemmouri, at the locality of El Karma, after the passenger bus reportedly lost control before plunging into a ravine.

Acting on the instructions of the Public Prosecutor attached to the Boumerdes Court, the judicial police of the National Gendarmerie immediately opened a comprehensive criminal investigation to establish the precise circumstances of the tragedy and determine individual and institutional responsibility.

According to the Prosecutor General, preliminary investigative findings uncovered multiple serious breaches of traffic and public safety regulations.

Biological analyses carried out on the deceased driver, Oussama Dhib, aged 33, confirmed that he had been driving under the influence of several hallucinogenic substances at the time of the crash. Investigators also discovered two psychotropic tablets among his personal belongings.

The investigation further established that the vehicle was carrying 64 occupants, despite being legally authorised to transport a maximum of 51 people, including the driver, constituting a clear violation of applicable transport regulations.

Technical forensic examinations also concluded that the bus was travelling at 121.63 kilometres per hour while entering a descending section of the roadway where the maximum authorised speed on that stretch of National Road 24 (RN24) is 60 km/h.

According to investigators, the vehicle was therefore travelling at more than twice the legal speed limit immediately before the fatal crash.

The Prosecutor General stressed that judicial investigations remain ongoing under the supervision of the Public Prosecution Service in order to establish the full sequence of events, determine all contributing factors and identify every individual or entity that may bear legal responsibility.

The statement further reaffirmed that judicial authorities would apply the law “with the utmost firmness” against anyone whose involvement or responsibility is established through the investigation.

The latest judicial findings come after President Abdelmadjid Tebboune declared three days of national mourning, describing those responsible for fatal road negligence as “terrorists of the road” and pledging that justice would deal firmly with all those found responsible once investigations are completed.

Since the tragedy, Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb, Interior Minister Saïd Sayoud, Health Minister Mohamed Seghir Aït Messaouden, and other senior officials have visited hospitals treating the injured, while the government has mobilised extensive medical, humanitarian and logistical resources to support victims and their families. Meanwhile, nationwide solidarity efforts—including blood donation campaigns, psychological assistance and emergency accommodation for relatives of victims—continue across several wilayas as Algeria mourns one of its most tragic road disasters in recent years.