Truck overturns in eastern Afghanistan, killing 18 including 10 children

Tragic! A truck overturned in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday (30/5), killing 18 people inside, including 10 children. Fatal traffic accidents frequently occur in Afghanistan due to poor road conditions after decades of conflict, dangerous driving behaviour, and lack of regulation. According to AFP, on the day of the incident, the truck was carrying Afghan families returning from Pakistan where they had been living, said Abdul Malik Niazay, the Laghman province governor’s spokesperson. “Eighteen people have died, including 10 children, five women, and three men. Additionally, 29 people were injured,” the spokesperson stated. The accident occurred on the road between Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan and Kabul, the capital. It is known that Pakistani authorities have tightened their stance towards Afghan migrants and refugees in the country, leading to frequent returns of families using trucks to travel back to Afghanistan with their belongings. Since the start of the year, 447,400 Afghan citizens have returned from Pakistan, according to data from the UN Refugee Agency and the International Organisation for Migration. In August last year, a collision involving a bus carrying Afghan migrants returning from Iran and two other vehicles in western Afghanistan killed 78 people, including 19 children.