A passenger bus overturned in the Arghandi area near Kabul early Wednesday morning, August 27, 2025, killing at least 25 people and injuring 27 others. The bus was traveling from southern Afghanistan, carrying passengers from Helmand and Kandahar provinces, when the accident occurred on the highway leading to Kandahar.
Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani attributed the crash to reckless driving and confirmed the casualty figures. The injured passengers are currently receiving treatment at hospitals, though the extent of their injuries has not been specified by authorities.
This incident represents another deadly traffic accident in Afghanistan, occurring less than a week after a catastrophic crash in western Herat province that killed approximately 78 to 80 people. That earlier accident involved a bus carrying Afghan migrants who had been deported from Iran, which collided with a motorcycle and a fuel tanker, resulting in a fire that engulfed the vehicle. Among the victims were 19 children and several women from 16 families.
The recent surge in traffic accidents highlights Afghanistan’s deteriorating road safety conditions. Data reviewed by Etilaatroz shows a dramatic increase in traffic incidents since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Official records indicate accidents rose from 1,187 between March 2021 and March 2022 to 2,662 the following year, then surged to at least 5,520 between March 2023 and March 2024, representing an 80 percent increase over two years.
The pattern of deadly accidents extends beyond this week’s incidents. On August 24, three people, including a woman and a child, died when a passenger vehicle overturned in Kohistan district, northern Badakhshan province. Provincial police spokesperson Ehsanullah Kamgar cited negligence as the cause of that accident, which also injured four others who were admitted to local health centers.
Two days earlier, on August 22, 12 people, including three women and nine children, died when a tractor plunged into a river in Garamsir district, southern Helmand province. Security personnel rescued 14 people from that scene, while four other children sustained injuries.
In December 2024, two separate bus accidents involving a fuel tanker and a truck on a highway through central Afghanistan killed at least 52 people, demonstrating the ongoing nature of the crisis. These incidents collectively illustrate the persistent dangers facing travelers on Afghan roads.
Multiple factors contribute to Afghanistan’s road safety crisis. Poor infrastructure resulting from decades of conflict, dangerous driving practices on highways, and insufficient traffic regulation enforcement create hazardous conditions for travelers. The lack of proper road maintenance and safety measures compounds these risks, particularly on major transportation routes connecting different regions of the country.
The Kabul-Kandahar highway, where Wednesday’s accident occurred, serves as a crucial transportation link between Afghanistan’s capital and its southern provinces. This route regularly carries passengers and cargo between major population centers, making safety conditions on this roadway particularly significant for the country’s transportation network.
Emergency response teams and police quickly responded to Wednesday’s crash scene, working to transport the injured to nearby medical facilities. The Taliban administration has indicated its commitment to investigating these accidents and strengthening road safety measures, though specific policy changes have not been detailed.
The recent wave of accidents has claimed nearly 100 lives within a single week, underscoring the severity of Afghanistan’s transportation safety challenges. Local sources indicated that the death toll from Wednesday’s crash could potentially rise, as several of the 27 injured passengers remain in critical condition at area hospitals.
