Accident – Afghan Returnees Killed After Truck Crashes on Highway
Accident – A tragic road accident in eastern Afghanistan claimed the lives of 18 people, including several children, after a truck carrying returning Afghan families overturned on a major highway on Saturday. Local officials said the vehicle was transporting passengers who had recently left Pakistan and were heading back to their home regions in Afghanistan.
Fatal Crash on Route to Kabul
According to provincial authorities, the accident took place on the highway connecting the city of Jalalabad with the national capital, Kabul. The truck reportedly lost control and overturned, resulting in a high number of casualties among those on board.
Abdul Malik Niazay, spokesperson for the governor of Laghman province, confirmed that 18 people died in the incident. The victims included 10 children, five women and three men. Emergency teams also reported that 29 others sustained injuries of varying severity and were taken for medical treatment.
Families Returning From Pakistan
Officials stated that the passengers were Afghan families returning from Pakistan, where many had been living for extended periods. In recent months, increasing numbers of Afghans have crossed back into their homeland as immigration policies in Pakistan have become stricter.
Many returning families travel long distances with personal belongings packed into trucks and other large vehicles. Such journeys can be challenging due to overcrowding, difficult road conditions and limited transportation options.
Road Safety Remains a Major Concern
Traffic accidents continue to be a serious issue across Afghanistan. Experts and authorities often point to damaged infrastructure, insufficient road maintenance, risky driving practices and weak enforcement of traffic regulations as contributing factors.
Decades of conflict have left many roads in poor condition, making travel hazardous in several parts of the country. Combined with overloaded vehicles and limited safety measures, these conditions frequently lead to severe accidents.
Rising Number of Returnees
Data released by international migration agencies indicate that hundreds of thousands of Afghans have returned from Pakistan this year. Figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) show that approximately 447,400 Afghans have returned since the beginning of the year.
The movement of large numbers of people has increased pressure on transportation networks, particularly along key routes connecting border regions with major Afghan cities.
Previous Tragedies Highlight Ongoing Risks
The latest accident is not an isolated incident. Afghanistan has witnessed several deadly road disasters involving returning migrants in recent years. In August last year, a major collision in western Afghanistan involving a bus carrying returnees from Iran and two other vehicles resulted in 78 deaths. Among those killed were 19 children.
That incident, along with Saturday’s crash, has renewed attention on the safety challenges facing families undertaking long journeys as they return to Afghanistan. Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the latest accident while emergency services assist survivors and affected families.