At Least 35 Killed as Two Buses Collide on Syria Highway.

At least 35 people have been killed and 30 others injured after two buses collided on a major highway in Syria.

The fatal accident occurred on Saturday along the Deir Az Zor Damascus road, a key highway stretching more than 400 kilometres and linking eastern Syria with the capital.

According to a report by Al Jazeera, the crash occurred between Al Sukhnah and Palmyra.

Syria’s Ministry of Interior said one of the buses was carrying members of the Internal Security Forces, while the other was transporting civilians.

The ministry said ambulances were immediately dispatched to the scene to evacuate the injured.

The state run Syrian Arab News Agency, SANA, reported that several helicopters were also deployed to medically evacuate injured victims to Homs Military Hospital.

The highway is known for poor safety standards, a situation that reflects the deteriorated state of Syria’s civilian infrastructure after nearly 14 years of civil war.

In October, Syria’s Minister of Disaster Management and Emergency Response, Raed al Saleh, said more than 2,000 road traffic accidents had been recorded between January and the end of September.

He described road crashes as one of the leading causes of death in Syria.