Beni Mellal, Morocco: Mountain Road Bus Plunge Claims Ten Lives Along Treacherous Gorge Route

Beni Mellal, Morocco—Rescue ropes dangled down a sheer limestone precipice as morning fog cleared over the valley. A long-distance passenger coach slid off a narrow mountain ledge and fell two hundred meters into a rocky gorge. Ten people lost their lives in the twisting wreckage.

Local shepherds raised the alarm after hearing the thunderous impact echoing through the canyon. Civil protection units deployed specialized mountain rescue teams and off-road ambulances to the isolated site. Steep terrain and loose gravel hampered the extraction of trapped victims for hours. Medics treated the wounded on makeshift stretchers before scaling the cliff face.

"The driver tried to navigate a tight hairpin turn, but the brakes failed completely on the descent," said local official Mohammed Amine.

Survivors reported that the vehicle had struggled with mechanical issues during the early morning climb. Regional authorities face mounting criticism over the lack of guardrails along high-altitude secondary routes. Heavy transport vehicles traverse these dangerous mountain passes daily without mandatory safety checks.

Families gathered at the provincial hospital morgue to identify the deceased victims. Grief echoed through the corridors as relatives demanded accountability from transport operators. National transit ministries dispatched an independent engineering committee to inspect the crash site.

Heavy recovery cranes arrived at the ravine rim to lift the crushed bus chassis. Traffic along the mountain corridor remained restricted to single-file passage under police supervision. Commuters voiced deep anxiety regarding the safety of regional transit networks.

The winding mountain road represents a vital link between rural villages and urban markets. Reconstruction of damaged retaining walls began immediately following the clearance operation. Emergency services remain on standby as weather forecasts predict heavy rain. The mountain pass resumed slow operations under a heavy blanket of fog.