Afghanistan bus crash death toll rises to 76 in Herat
Mohammad Yousuf Saeedi, the Herat provincial government spokesman, provided the updated figures in an official statement.
He stated, 'Seventy-six citizens of the country... lost their lives in the incident, and three others were seriously injured.' The tragic accident occurred on Tuesday night in the Guzara district outside Herat city.
Local police reported that the bus collided with a motorcycle and a fuel truck, which subsequently sparked a major fire. Saeedi informed AFP that the bus was transporting Afghans who had recently returned from Iran and were en route to the capital, Kabul.
This incident occurs amidst a significant wave of returns to Afghanistan. According to the UN migration agency, at least 1.5 million people have returned this year from Iran and Pakistan. Both nations have recently pursued policies to force migrants out after hosting them for decades.
The state-run Bakhtar News Agency described Tuesday's accident as one of the deadliest road incidents in the country in recent memory. Traffic accidents remain a common and tragic occurrence across Afghanistan.
This is largely attributed to poor road conditions following decades of conflict, dangerous driving practices, and a significant lack of effective traffic regulation.
A similar tragedy occurred in December of last year, where two separate bus accidents on a central highway claimed the lives of at least fifty-two people. - AFP
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