Dozens injured after refugee vehicle crashes in eastern Afghanistan.
Kabul: At least 22 people were killed and around 36 injured after a truck carrying Afghan refugees overturned on a highway in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, officials said.
The accident occurred in Laghman Province on the highway linking Kabul with Nangarhar Province, according to provincial officials.
Spokesperson to the governor, Abdul Malik Niazai, said 10 children and five women were among those killed. The injured were shifted to hospitals in Nangarhar.
Provincial public health director Aminullah Sharif said the accident occurred after the driver fell asleep, causing the vehicle to veer off the road and fall into a ditch.
The passengers were among Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan amid a crackdown on undocumented migrants launched in 2023. Large numbers have also returned from Iran following similar measures.
In a separate incident in Nuristan Province, a car fell into a river on Friday night, injuring the driver and leaving four passengers missing. Rescue operations were under way.
Officials said road accidents are frequent in Afghanistan due to poor road conditions and lack of adherence to traffic regulations.
