A tragic bus accident in western Afghanistan has claimed the lives of 79 people, including 17 children. Most of the victims were Afghan migrants deported from Iran, as the bus collided with a truck and a motorcycle in Herat province on Tuesday night. The deadly crash highlights the growing humanitarian crisis faced by Afghan deportees returning to a country already struggling with limited resources.
A devastating traffic accident in Herat province, western Afghanistan, has resulted in the deaths of 79 people, including 17 children. The victims were aboard a bus carrying Afghan migrants who had recently been deported from Iran. According to Taliban interior ministry spokesperson Ahmadullah Mottaqi, the bus, which was en route to Kabul, collided with a truck and a motorcycle, leading to a deadly fire that consumed the vehicle.
The incident occurred late on Tuesday night, and all passengers on the bus were killed, along with two people from the other vehicles involved in the crash. The bus was carrying migrants who had boarded in Islam Qala, a town near the Afghanistan-Iran border, as confirmed by Mohammad Yousuf Saeedi, a spokesman for the provincial governor.
Authorities have attributed the crash to the bus driver’s excessive speed and negligence. Afghanistan’s roads, many of which have been damaged by decades of conflict, are notorious for dangerous driving conditions, with limited enforcement of traffic regulations. This incident underscores the ongoing risks faced by Afghan migrants, particularly those deported from Iran.
In recent months, Iran has significantly increased the deportation of undocumented Afghan migrants, who have fled ongoing conflict in Afghanistan. Since January, over 1.5 million Afghans have been forcibly returned to Afghanistan, a situation exacerbated by strained resources in the country. With the Taliban in control, the country’s capacity to absorb the large numbers of returnees is severely limited, causing significant social and economic strain.
The deportations have heightened tensions, as many Afghans face systemic discrimination in Iran. This comes in the wake of a July deadline for undocumented Afghans to leave voluntarily, followed by an increase in forced returns amid growing security concerns in Iran. While Iran claims national security threats, critics argue that the deportations may be politically motivated, especially after Tehran’s war with Israel in June.
The mounting pressure on Afghanistan, already struggling with an influx of returnees from Pakistan, is further compounded by international aid cuts. As Arshad Malik, country director for Save the Children Afghanistan, highlighted, the country is ill-equipped to handle the increasing numbers of deportees, leading to growing humanitarian concerns.
This tragic incident highlights the vulnerability of deported Afghan migrants, who continue to face perilous journeys and uncertain futures in a country that is struggling to support its own citizens.
