Death toll rises to 23 in bus crash in Libya, 5 injured

Tripoli [Libya], January 13: The death toll from a traffic accident, which took place in the vicinity of the Abu Qurain village near eastern Libya's Al-Loud area on Sunday, has risen to 23, with five others injured, the official Libyan News Agency reported, revising an earlier report of eight deaths and 20 injuries from the Ministry of Health.
According to Mohammed Al-Jali, an official from Abu Qurain, the village's hospital received seven bodies and one injured person, while hospitals in the towns of Hun and Waddan, located in the Jufra district, received 16 bodies and four injured individuals.
The bus involved in the crash, which occurred on a highway, was traveling from Jufra to Tripoli, according to the report.
Security and prosecution authorities are investigating to determine the causes of the incident, the report noted.
In an earlier statement on Facebook, Libya's health minister urged the public to adhere to traffic rules and guidelines in order to protect lives and ensure safety.
Libya recorded one of the world's highest road traffic mortality rates in 2024, with 34 fatalities per 100,000 people, according to official statistics.
Source: Xinhua News agency