At least 35 people were killed and 30 others injured after two passenger buses collided on the Deir Az Zor-Damascus road in Syria on Saturday, according to state media and government officials.
The crash occurred between al-Sukhnah and Palmyra on the highway linking eastern Syria with the capital, Damascus.
Authorities said one of the buses was carrying members of the Internal Security Forces, while the other was transporting civilians.
Emergency crews, ambulances and military helicopters were dispatched to the scene to assist with rescue efforts and evacuate the injured.
The Interior Ministry said the collision involved an Internal Security Forces bus and a civilian passenger bus.
According to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Defence Ministry helicopters transported injured survivors and recovered bodies from Palmyra airport to a military hospital in Homs.
Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani offered condolences to the families of those killed and wished those injured a swift recovery.
The cause of the collision was not immediately known.
Emergency and Disaster Management Minister Raed al-Saleh described the incident as one of the deadliest road accidents in Syria in recent years in terms of the number of victims.
He said it highlighted the urgent need to address long-standing challenges facing the country's road infrastructure after years of neglect and damage.
State television quoted Damascus road transport director Moaz Najjar as saying authorities had directed road maintenance in the eastern region to be treated as a priority.
He added that most roads had not undergone maintenance for approximately 15 years.
The Deir Az Zor-Damascus highway is regarded as a key transport route but has long been associated with poor safety standards.
Earlier this month, five people were killed and dozens injured when a bus carrying pilgrims overturned in southern Syria.
Last year, at least 12 people died after a bus collided with an oil tanker in northeastern Syria.
In 2020, at least 32 people were killed when a fuel tanker crashed into two buses on a road between Damascus and Homs province.
Officials have previously said road traffic accidents are among the leading causes of death in Syria.