Bus carrying returnees overturns in Afghanistan’s Laghman, 18 killed and 29 injured

At least 18 people, including 10 children and five women, were killed and 29 others injured after a vehicle carrying Afghan returnees from Pakistan overturned in eastern Afghanistan, local officials said on Saturday. According to the Taliban’s disaster management authority in Laghman Province, all of the victims were recently returned migrants who had been temporarily settled in Kunar Province after arriving from Pakistan. The passengers were travelling to Kabul when the accident occurred. Habibullah Mubarez said the vehicle overturned at around 5:30 a.m. near the Surkhkano intersection in Qarghayi district. Emergency teams transported the injured to nearby medical facilities, while authorities launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. Officials have not yet confirmed whether speeding, mechanical failure or poor road conditions contributed to the accident. Several of the injured were reported to be in critical condition. The incident comes as Afghanistan continues to receive large numbers of returnees from Pakistan following Islamabad’s deportation campaign targeting undocumented foreign nationals. Thousands of Afghan families have crossed the border in recent months, placing additional pressure on transportation networks and public services. Road accidents have become increasingly common across Afghanistan, with poor road infrastructure, overcrowded vehicles, reckless driving and weak enforcement of traffic regulations frequently cited as major causes. Fatal crashes involving passenger buses and trucks are regularly reported on the country’s main highways. Traffic-related deaths have risen noticeably in recent months, according to local authorities and humanitarian organisations. Accidents have claimed dozens of lives in several provinces, highlighting growing concerns about road safety as domestic travel and population movements increase across the country. Afghanistan’s mountainous terrain, deteriorating road conditions and limited emergency response capacity continue to contribute to a high rate of traffic fatalities, making road accidents one of the leading causes of accidental deaths nationwide. The post Bus carrying returnees overturns in Afghanistan’s Laghman, 18 killed and 29 injured appeared first on Khaama Press.