At least 33 people were killed and 22 others injured when a truck collided with a bus which burst into flames in Algeria early on Saturday, authorities said.

The accident took place at 2:50 am (0150 GMT) near the city of Aflou, 400 kilometres (248 miles) south of the capital Algiers, the APS news agency said quoting the civil defence.

The bus slammed into a rocky embankment after the collision and caught fire, with most of the passengers who were asleep at the time burning to death, it said.

Road accidents kill at least 4,000 people each year in Algeria.