Afghanistan Times
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Ghazni, Afghanistan — Two devastating highway crashes in central Afghanistan late Wednesday claimed the lives of at least 52 people and left 68 others injured, provincial officials confirmed on Thursday. The accidents involved two passenger buses—one colliding with a fuel tanker and the other with a truck—along the busy highway connecting Kabul to Kandahar.
Hamidullah Nisar, head of information and culture in Ghazni province, shared the grim news on X, formerly Twitter, and warned that the death toll could rise as several of the injured are in critical condition. “Among the injured and dead were children, women, and elderly people,” he said, noting that some of the critically injured had been transferred to hospitals in Kabul for advanced treatment.
The first crash occurred near Shahbaz village when a passenger bus collided with a fuel tanker, igniting a scene of chaos and destruction. The second accident, in the Andar district, involved another bus striking a truck. Both sites were littered with wreckage, bloodied clothing, and personal belongings of passengers, an AFP journalist reported.
Chief government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid expressed sorrow over the tragedies in a statement on X, promising a thorough investigation into the causes of the accidents.
Rescue teams worked through the night to clear debris from the crash sites. Survivors described harrowing scenes of devastation. One injured passenger, Khadim, recalled waking to the sound of the collision before losing consciousness. “When I came to, I saw people trapped under the vehicle, crying and bleeding,” he said.
The wreckage of the buses has been transported to a lot in Ghazni city, where their twisted frames and bloodstained interiors bear grim testament to the accidents. Rahim, a witness at the Shahbaz crash site, said, “We were gathering items from the area—there were human remains. It was a very intense accident.”
Afghanistan’s roads are notoriously dangerous, with poor infrastructure and reckless driving often leading to tragic accidents. Wednesday’s incidents serve as yet another stark reminder of the risks faced by travelers on the country’s highways.
