At least 21 people were killed and 38 injured on Sunday in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province when a bus collided with an oil tanker and a motorbike, provincial officials said.
Deadly traffic accidents are a frequent occurrence in Afghanistan, attributed to factors such as poor road conditions, reckless driving practices on highways, and inadequate regulations.
According to the provincial information department’s post on X, the accident occurred on the Herat-Kandahar highway in Grishk district of Helmand province. The collision caused the vehicles involved to catch fire, as confirmed by Helmand governor spokesman Mohammad Qasim Riyaz.
Images shared on social media by the information department depicted the aftermath of the collision, showing charred and twisted metal strewn across the highway, including the damaged cabin of the oil tanker.
Cleanup efforts were underway at the accident site to clear the debris, with officials reporting that among the injured, 11 were in critical condition, while 27 sustained minor injuries.
Reports from Helmand traffic management officials indicated that the passenger bus, en route from Herat city to Kabul, initially collided with a motorbike carrying two individuals, resulting in the deaths of both riders. Subsequently, the bus lost control and collided with an oil tanker traveling from Kandahar to Herat, leading to a fire.
The tragic accident claimed the lives of three individuals on the oil tanker and 16 passengers aboard the bus.
This incident brings to mind another serious accident involving an oil tanker in December 2022, when the vehicle overturned and caught fire in Afghanistan’s Salang pass, resulting in the deaths of 31 people and causing severe burn injuries to numerous others.
