69 killed after motorbike collides with mini-truck in Afghanistan

August 20, 2025

Kabul: In western Afghanistan’s Herat province, a deadly road collision left at least 64 people dead and three others injured, according to Abdul Zahir Noorzai, head of the provincial rescue department. The crash occurred late Tuesday on a road connecting Iran to Herat city, the official added, citing Xinhua News Agency.

The majority of those killed were Afghan refugees who had returned from Iran to settle in their homeland, officials said. An anonymous official noted that the passenger bus caught fire after the collision, complicating identification of bodies, and the death toll could rise as information is collected.

The rescue authorities indicated that the casualty figure might increase as investigations and information gathering continue. The incident follows a series of road accidents in different provinces earlier in the month, raising concerns about road safety.

Earlier in August, two separate road crashes in Badakhshan province killed seven commuters and injured others. In Shahr-i-Bazarg district, five travelers died and another was seriously injured, while in neighboring Raghistan district, two people died when a car overturned. On July 31, a separate crash in Bamiyan province left one dead and 14 injured when a vehicle veered off the road and rolled over in Kotal Bukak, Yakawlang district; officials reported that all the injured were transported to nearby health facilities.

Bakhtar News Agency quoted provincial police spokesman Mohammad Khawani Rasa, who said the Bamiyan incident involved a mini-bus overturn due to a technical fault, with casualties including women and children. The injured were taken to local health centers for treatment.