At least 18 people, including women and children, were killed when a cargo truck carrying Afghan refugee families returning from Pakistan overturned on a major highway in eastern Afghanistan, authorities said.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the accident happened in Qarghayi district of Laghman province on Saturday. The truck, packed with displaced families and their personal belongings, veered off the road around 5:30 a.m. local time (01:00 GMT) near the Surkhakan junction in Qarghayi.
Provincial health director Aminullah Sharif said the accident occurred when the truck plunged into a ditch after the driver fell asleep. At least 10 children were among the dead, authorities confirmed.
Abdul Malik Niazay, a spokesman for the Laghman governor, said more than 30 other passengers were injured, some critically. The families had been staying in eastern Kunar province and were en route to the capital, Kabul.
Rescue teams quickly transported the injured to medical facilities in neighboring Nangarhar province, where many remain in intensive care.
The central government sent official condolences to the victims. Taliban spokesman Mujahid posted on social media platform X: "We pray for the quick recovery of the victims," adding that he was "deeply saddened" by the tragedy, which occurred just after the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan's National Disaster Management Authority announced an emergency financial aid package of 730,000 afghani (about $10,000) for the affected families.
Deadly traffic accidents are frequent in Afghanistan, where highways have severely deteriorated after decades of conflict, vehicles are poorly maintained, and traffic regulations are rarely enforced.
In the past ten days, at least 20 people have died in three separate reported traffic accidents across Afghanistan, according to Taliban authorities and local media.
The tragedy further highlights the growing strain on transport infrastructure as hundreds of thousands of Afghans return from neighboring countries. According to UN data, more than 447,000 Afghans have returned from Pakistan this year alone following Islamabad's crackdown on illegal migrants. International aid groups warn that forced deportations are pushing families to travel on dangerous, overcrowded cargo trucks.
