World

Eighteen killed as truck crashes in eastern Afghanistan

By AAP Newswire

May 30, 2026

Trucks on a mountain road in Afghanistan — Traffic accidents are common across Afghanistan, where roads are poorly maintained. -EPA

At least 18 people are dead after a truck carrying Afghan refugees returning from neighbouring Pakistan overturned on a highway in eastern Afghanistan.

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Officials say among the dead were 10 children and five women with 35 people injured.

The accident occurred in Laghman province on the main highway linking Kabul, the Afghan capital, with Nangarhar province, said Abdul Malik Niazai, the spokesperson for the provincial governor.

He said the injured were taken to hospitals in Nangarhar for medical treatment.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban government spokesperson expressed his sorrow over the incident and offered condolences to the victims' families.

Traffic accidents are common across Afghanistan, where roads are poorly maintained and drivers routinely ignore traffic regulations.

The passengers were among thousands of Afghans who recently returned from Pakistan, which launched a crackdown on undocumented migrants in 2023 and has since deported or pressured many to leave.