A devastating highway accident in Afghanistan’s eastern region has claimed the lives of at least 22 people, including 10 children, when a transport vehicle carrying Afghan refugees overturned on Saturday. Approximately 36 others sustained injuries in the crash, with women and children comprising the majority of casualties, according to local authorities.
The fatal incident took place in Laghman province along the primary roadway connecting Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, to Nangarhar province, according to Abdul Malik Niazai, the spokesperson for the provincial governor.
Among those who perished were 10 children and five women, while the wounded victims were transported to medical facilities in Nangarhar for treatment, Niazai reported.
Aminullah Sharif, the provincial director of public health, confirmed the death toll of 22 individuals and stated that roughly 36 people were hurt in the incident. According to Sharif, the crash happened when the transport vehicle veered into a roadside ditch after its operator dozed off while driving.
The victims were part of the large population of Afghans who have recently come back from Pakistan, following that country’s enforcement campaign against migrants that began in 2023, resulting in deportations and pressure on many to depart. Iran similarly stepped up removal efforts for Afghan migrants during this period. Millions of Afghans have since returned from both nations, including numerous individuals who were born in Pakistan and had lived and worked there for many years.
In another incident in eastern Nuristan province, a vehicle plunged from the roadway into a river on Friday evening, injuring the operator and leaving four occupants unaccounted for, provincial officials announced Saturday. Search and rescue teams were actively looking for the four missing individuals, the governor’s office reported.
Such transportation incidents occur frequently throughout Afghanistan, where roadway infrastructure is in poor condition and motorists commonly disregard safety rules.
