Truck accident in Afghanistan kills 18, injures 35

A truck overturned in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, killing 18 people on board, including 10 children, a provincial official told AFP.

Deadly traffic crashes are common in Afghanistan, due in part to poor roads after decades of conflict, dangerous driving and a lack of regulation.

The vehicle was carrying Afghan families returning from Pakistan, where they had been living, according to Abdul Malik Niazay, spokesperson for the governor of Laghman province.

“Eighteen people [have died], including 10 children, five women and three men. In addition, 29 people have been injured,” the spokesperson said.

The accident happened on the road between Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan and the capital Kabul.

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Deadly traffic crashes are a frequent occurrence across Afghanistan, largely driven by poorly maintained roads after decades of conflict, reckless driving, and a widespread lack of traffic regulations.

Since the start of the year, 447,400 Afghans have returned from Pakistan, according to figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organisation for Migration.

In August 2025, a collision between a bus carrying Afghan migrants returning from Iran and two other vehicles in western Afghanistan killed 78 people, 19 of whom were children.