A passenger bus overturned early Wednesday morning on the Kabul-Kandahar highway, killing 25 people and injuring 27 others in one of Afghanistan’s latest deadly traffic accidents. The crash occurred on August 27, 2025, in the Arghandi area near Kabul as the bus traveled from southern Afghanistan carrying passengers from Helmand and Kandahar provinces.
Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani attributed the accident to the driver’s negligence, stating that reckless driving caused the deadly crash. The 27 injured passengers were transported to hospitals for treatment, though the extent of their injuries was not specified by officials. Local sources indicated that the death toll could potentially rise as several of the injured remained in critical condition.
The incident represents the latest in a series of devastating road accidents that have plagued Afghanistan in recent weeks. Less than a week before this crash, approximately 80 people died in western Herat province when a bus carrying Afghan migrants deported from Iran collided with a motorcycle and a truck. That accident, which occurred on August 20, killed 78 people, including more than a dozen children, with Taliban officials citing speeding as the primary cause.
Afghanistan has experienced a dramatic surge in traffic accidents since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Data reviewed by Etilaatroz/KabulNow revealed a fivefold increase in traffic incidents over recent years. Official figures showed 1,187 accidents between March 2021 and March 2022, rising sharply to 2,662 the following year. The situation worsened significantly between March 2023 and March 2024, when at least 5,520 accidents were recorded, representing nearly an 80 percent increase over two years.
The deteriorating road safety situation stems from multiple factors that have worsened Afghanistan’s transportation infrastructure. Decades of conflict have left roads in poor condition throughout the country, while dangerous driving practices on highways have become increasingly common. The lack of effective traffic regulation and enforcement has further contributed to the rising accident rates, creating hazardous conditions for travelers across Afghanistan’s road network.
Wednesday’s crash on the Kabul-Kandahar highway highlights the particular dangers faced by passengers traveling between major Afghan cities. This route serves as a critical transportation corridor connecting the capital with southern provinces, carrying thousands of passengers monthly. The bus involved in the accident was reportedly carrying passengers from two southern provinces, Helmand and Kandahar, as they traveled toward Kabul for various purposes.
The recent Herat province accident involved migrants who had been deported from Iran, adding another dimension to Afghanistan’s transportation challenges. Taliban officials reported that the victims in that crash belonged to 16 families, underscoring the widespread impact such accidents have on Afghan communities. The frequency and severity of these incidents have raised concerns about the safety of public transportation in the country.
In December of the previous year, Afghanistan experienced additional deadly road accidents when two separate bus crashes involving a fuel tanker and a truck on a central highway killed at least 52 people. These incidents, combined with the recent crashes in Kabul and Herat, demonstrate a pattern of serious transportation safety issues that continue to claim dozens of lives across the country.
The current accident occurred early in the morning hours, a time when visibility and road conditions can present additional challenges for drivers. According to authorities, the bus veered off the road and overturned, resulting in the high casualty count. Emergency responders transported the injured to nearby medical facilities, though specific details about their conditions were not immediately available.
The repeated occurrence of deadly bus accidents has highlighted systemic issues within Afghanistan’s transportation sector. Poor infrastructure maintenance, inadequate driver training and oversight, and insufficient safety regulations have created conditions where such tragedies occur with alarming frequency. The Taliban administration faces mounting pressure to address these safety concerns and implement measures to reduce the risk of future accidents on the country’s highways and roads.
