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A collision involving two passenger buses on the Damascus-Deir el-Zour highway near Palmyra killed 35 people and injured 30 others Saturday, according to Syria’s Health Ministry.
The crash occurred between the cities of al-Sukhnah and Palmyra, state news agency SANA reported.
Syria’s Interior Ministry said one bus was carrying members of the internal security forces, while the other was carrying civilians.
Emergency crews and relevant authorities rushed to the site and began transporting the injured and recovering the victims.
Syria’s Defense Ministry sent several helicopters to assist with the medical evacuation of the injured and the victims to Homs Military Hospital, according to SANA.
Dr. Najib al-Naasan, director of referrals, ambulance and emergency services at the Health Ministry, said the confirmed toll had reached 35 dead and 30 injured.
Syrian Civil Defense teams were dispatched from the Palmyra center, while additional support was requested from centers in Deir ez-Zor.
Earlier reports had placed the preliminary toll at 19 dead and 27 injured.
The Deir ez-Zor Media Directorate said initial information indicated that a large number of military personnel and civilians were among the victims.
Rescue teams continued recovering burned bodies from inside one of the buses, according to Syria TV.
Syrian Civil Defense said it brought under control a fire caused by the collision and continued providing first aid and transferring injured people to Palmyra Hospital.
Teams also worked with other authorities to recover the victims, secure the site and clear the aftermath of the crash.
Syrian Interior Minister Anas Hassan Khattab expressed condolences to the families of those killed.
“There is no greater pain than losing sons who were on their way to perform their duty, and for innocent civilians to share in this affliction,” Khattab said in a post.
He also wished recovery for the injured and patience for the victims’ families.
The Deir el-Zour-Damascus highway is locally known as the “road of death” because of repeated traffic accidents in recent years.
The road is narrow and relies on a single lane in each direction without a central divider. It also has numerous potholes and deteriorating infrastructure.
Large sections pass through desert areas with weak mobile phone coverage and few rapid-response centers, which can delay rescue and ambulance operations.
Residents have repeatedly called for the road to be widened, damaged sections to be repaired and clearer traffic signs to be installed.
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