Many killed in southern Algeria road accident

Twenty people, mostly African nationals, have died when a vehicle carrying them overturned in southern Algeria, its state media citing the country’s civil protection agency said.

Eleven people on board the vehicle were also injured in the accident near Ain Amguel town in the desert province of Tamanrasset, 2,000km (1,250 miles) from the capital, Algiers, state news agency APS reported on Friday.

Tamanrasset, located near the borders with Mali and Niger, is regarded as a transit point for African migrants seeking to go to Europe.

Among those killed were 19 African nationals, including children, and the Algerian driver of the pick-up truck, which was destroyed in the accident, said the agency on its Facebook page.

The cause of the accident is not clear yet.

The injured were given first aid at the scene of the accident before being transferred to a hospital.

In recent years, Algeria has seen an influx of sub-Saharan migrants, many pouring across the country’s southern border.

The civil protection agency urged drivers to respect traffic rules in Algeria, where more than 3,000 people were killed on the roads in 2019, according to official figures.