Bus highway collision in Syria kills 35 people, injures 30
· UPIJuly 25 (UPI) -- Two buses collided in Syria on Saturday, killing 35 people and injuring another 30, officials said.
One bus had been transporting members of the Internal Security Forces while the other had civilians when they crashed on Deir Az Zor-Damascus Road, between al-Sukhnah and Palmyra.
Several helicopters were needed to rush dozens of injured victims to Homs Military Hospital, the Defense Ministry told state-owned Syrian Arab News Agency.
Health Minister Musab al-Ali said "a number of patients remain in critical condition, requiring surgical procedures, most of them orthopedic surgeries, in addition to neurological cases."
A few patients sustained minor injuries and are expected to be discharged in the coming days, the minister added to SANA.
In a statement, President Ahmed al-Sharaa said, "May God have mercy on the victims."
"We have directed the mobilization of all necessary resources to address the repercussions of the accident, provide care for the injured, and stand by the families of the victims," the Syrian president wrote on X. "We ask God to grant them patience and solace, and healing for the injured."
Yarub Badr, Syria's transport minister, said the collision was a "painful tragedy" that highlights the need for new infrastructure investment.
Bard told SANA the road had "suffered years of neglect and deteriorating maintenance."