A truck carrying Afghan refugees returning from neighboring Pakistan overturned on a highway in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday. The accident occurred in Laghman province on the main highway linking Kabul with Nangarhar province, killing at least 18 people, although some reports state the death toll reached 22. Around 35 to 36 others were injured, the majority of whom were women and children, with at least 10 children among the dead.
The injured were taken to hospitals in Nangarhar for medical treatment. Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Taliban government, expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, which took place at the conclusion of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, and offered condolences to the families of the victims.
Traffic accidents are common throughout Afghanistan, where roads remain poorly maintained after decades of conflict and drivers frequently ignore traffic regulations.
The passengers were part of a larger wave of thousands of Afghans returning from Pakistan following a crackdown on undocumented migrants launched in 2023. Similarly, Iran intensified expulsions of Afghan migrants around the same time. Millions of Afghans have since returned home from both countries, including many who were born in Pakistan and had lived and worked there for decades.