KABUL, Afghanistan (BN24) — A deadly bus crash in Kabul claimed the lives of at least 26 people and left 27 others injured in the early Wednesday, marking one of the most severe road accidents in Afghanistan in recent weeks. The incident occurred around 3 a.m. in the Arghandi area of Kabul as the vehicle, a 580-model passenger bus, was traveling from the southern provinces of Helmand and Kandahar toward the capital.
According to Taliban government spokesperson Abdul Mateen Qani of the Interior Ministry, the crash was caused by reckless driving. The bus veered off the road and rolled down a steep embankment, leaving many passengers trapped inside the wreckage. Emergency responders and local residents rushed to the scene to assist in recovery and rescue operations, pulling victims from the debris and transporting the wounded to hospitals.
Many of the 27 injured remain in critical condition, officials said, raising fears that the death toll could rise. The majority of the passengers were believed to be traveling for work or medical purposes from southern Afghanistan to Kabul.
The Afghan transportation safety crisis has come under renewed scrutiny, as this incident follows a separate fatal collision in Herat province less than a week ago, where nearly 80 people were killed. Poor road infrastructure, aging vehicles, and insufficient enforcement of traffic laws have contributed to a pattern of deadly crashes across the country.
This Kabul embankment crash underscores growing concerns about road safety in Afghanistan, where public transportation remains a lifeline despite mounting risks. Authorities have launched an investigation into the circumstances of the accident, but no further details about the bus company or driver have been released.
As families mourn the victims, the latest deadly traffic accident in Kabul adds to the human toll of Afghanistan’s overburdened and under-regulated transportation network.
