KABUL: Two separate bus accidents on the Kabul-Kandahar Highway in Ghazni province on Wednesday night resulted in the deaths of 52 people and left 65 others injured, the Taliban government confirmed on Thursday.
The first accident occurred near Shahbaz village when a bus collided with a fuel tanker. The second incident took place in the eastern district of Andar, where another bus collided with a truck. The exact details of the casualties from each accident have not been disclosed.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Taliban government, expressed regret over the tragic events, confirming that emergency response teams had been dispatched to the scene to assist the victims. The injured were transferred to local hospitals, with some reported to be in serious condition.
The cause of the accidents remains unclear, though Afghanistan’s road infrastructure, which has been affected by decades of conflict, along with unsafe driving practices, are known factors contributing to frequent traffic incidents.
This tragic incident follows other major road accidents in the country, including one in March, when a bus collided with a fuel tanker in southern Helmand province, killing more than 20 people and injuring 38 others.