According to the official report, at least 50 individuals have lost their lives, and dozens more have been injured in two bus crashes that occurred in central Afghanistan. The accidents took place late on Wednesday on the same highway in Ghazni province, which connects the capital, Kabul, to Kandahar city in the south, as indicated by Hamidullah Nisar, the provincial head of information and culture.
The first incident involved a passenger bus that crashed into a fuel tanker near Shahbaz village in central Ghazni. In another occurrence, a bus collided with a truck in the eastern district of Andar, according to Nisar. Hafiz Omar, spokesperson for the Ghazni provincial governor, stated that the accidents resulted in the deaths of 50 people. Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief spokesman for the Taliban government, reported that the death toll had risen to 52, with 65 individuals injured. Additional officials noted that the number of injuries might reach 76.
Mujahid expressed in a statement, “It is with deep sorrow that we have come to know of two deadly traffic accidents that took place on the Kabul-Kandahar Highway.”
Omar reported that the injured have been taken to medical facilities in Ghazni, and the authorities are working on transferring the bodies to the families. He added that patients in more critical states have been sent to Kabul, with casualties including women and children.
Traffic accidents frequently occur in Afghanistan, largely attributed to the deteriorated road conditions resulting from years of conflict, reckless driving behaviors on highways, and insufficient regulatory measures. In March, a tragic incident resulted in the deaths of over 20 individuals and injuries to 38 others when a bus collided with a fuel tanker, leading to a fire in southern Helmand province. Additionally, in December 2022, another grave accident involving a fuel tanker occurred when the vehicle overturned and ignited in the high-altitude Salang Pass, claiming the lives of 31 people and causing severe burns to many others
