Deadly Crash in Eastern Afghanistan Claims 22 Lives as Refugees Return from Pakistan
Collected Photo
A tragic road accident in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday claimed the lives of at least 22 Afghan refugees who were returning from neighboring Pakistan, where authorities have been cracking down on undocumented migrants.
The truck carrying the passengers overturned on a major highway in Laghman province, according to local officials. Around 36 others sustained injuries, most of whom were women and children.
Abdul Malik Niazai, spokesperson for the provincial governor, confirmed that the accident happened on the key route connecting the capital Kabul with Nangarhar province. Among the deceased were 10 children and five women. The injured were rushed to hospitals in Nangarhar.
Dr. Aminullah Sharif, the provincial director of public health, provided the casualty figures and explained that the driver had fallen asleep at the wheel, causing the truck to veer off the road and plunge into a ditch.
The passengers were part of a massive wave of Afghans returning home after Pakistan launched a widespread crackdown on undocumented foreign nationals in 2023. Since then, Pakistan has deported or pressured hundreds of thousands to leave. Around the same time, Iran also intensified its own expulsions of Afghan migrants. As a result, millions of Afghans have returned from both countries—including many who were born in Pakistan and had spent decades living and working there.
Separate Incident Leaves Four Missing
In another accident Friday night in the eastern province of Nuristan, a car veered off a road and fell into a river. The driver was injured, while four passengers remain missing. Rescue teams continued searching for them on Saturday, according to the governor's office.
Road accidents are distressingly common across Afghanistan, where highways are often poorly maintained and traffic regulations are widely ignored.
(Source: NBC News)
