Twenty people have been killed in Algeria when a vehicle carrying mainly African nationals overturned in the south of the country, according to the civil protection unit.
The crash took place on Thursday near the town of Tamanrasset and 11 people were also injured, the rescue unit said on its Facebook page.
Tamanrasset in southernmost Algeria is near the country’s borders with Mali and Niger, and a key transit route for illegal migrants from sub-Saharan Africa trying to reach the Mediterranean to then cross to Europe.
The passengers were in a pick-up truck, the civil protection unit said, adding that the vehicle was completely destroyed.
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 unit urged drivers to respect traffic rules in Algeria, where more than 3,000 people were killed on the roads last year according to official figures.
