
On Sunday in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, a tragic collision involving a bus, an oil tanker, and a motorbike resulted in the loss of twenty-one lives and left thirty-eight others injured according to a provincial official. Mohammad Qasim Riyaz, spokesperson for the provincial governor, conveyed the grim news, stating that the incident occurred early in the morning. The collision, which occurred on a main highway connecting Kabul to northern Herat City in the Grishk district of Helmand, sparked a fiery scene, with the vehicles engulfed in flames. Initial reports indicated a lower casualty count, but the provincial information department later revised the figures, highlighting the severity of the incident.
Images shared by the Helmand information department on social media depicted the aftermath of the collision, revealing charred wreckage and the mangled remains of the tanker’s cabin. This devastating event adds to a concerning trend of deadly traffic accidents in Afghanistan, attributed to factors such as inadequate road infrastructure, reckless driving practices, and insufficient regulatory measures. Sadly, the nation has witnessed similar tragedies before, including a fatal incident in December 2022, when an oil tanker overturned and ignited in the Salang pass, claiming the lives of thirty-one individuals and causing severe burn injuries to numerous others.