ALGIERS, Algeria 

At least 34 people were killed in a traffic accident early Wednesday morning in Algeria’s Tamanrasset southern province, according to a statement by the Algerian civil defense.

The accident took place as a result of "a collision between a bus transporting passengers and a car,” the civil defense said adding that the bus caught fire.

As many as 12 people were injured in the fire, the statement added.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Algerian gendarmerie said the accident occurred on National Road No. 01 in the village of Atoll.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat