Afghanistan Bus Collision Death Toll Rises to 76

The death toll from a tragic road accident involving Afghan migrants has climbed to 76, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

According to Mohammad Yousuf Saeedi, spokesman for the Herat provincial government, “Seventy-six citizens of the country lost their lives in the incident, and three others were seriously injured.”

The accident occurred on Tuesday night in Guzara district, near Herat city, when a bus transporting Afghan migrants returning from Iran collided with a motorcycle and a fuel truck. The impact sparked a massive fire, engulfing the vehicles.

Authorities said the bus was en route to Kabul, carrying Afghans who had recently returned from Iran. The UN migration agency estimates that more than 1.5 million people have returned to Afghanistan this year from Iran and Pakistan, both countries stepping up efforts to expel migrants after decades of hosting them.

The state-run Bakhtar News Agency described the crash as one of the deadliest road accidents in Afghanistan in recent years.

Deadly traffic accidents are common in the country, largely due to poorly maintained roads after decades of conflict, reckless driving, and weak enforcement of traffic regulations.