A passenger bus overturned early Wednesday morning, August 27, 2025, in the Arghandi area near Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital, killing at least 25 people and injuring 27 others. The bus was traveling from southern Afghanistan with passengers from Helmand and Kandahar provinces when the deadly accident occurred on the Kabul-Kandahar highway.
Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani attributed the crash to driver negligence, stating that “reckless driving caused the accident, which also injured 27 people.” The Taliban official confirmed that all 27 injured passengers were transported to local hospitals for treatment, though the extent of their injuries was not specified.
According to multiple reports, the bus plunged from a rocky embankment after losing control on the highway. Photos from the accident scene showed the destroyed vehicle with significant damage to its roof and body, indicating the severe impact of the crash. Emergency responders and police arrived at the scene to assist with rescue operations and transport the injured to nearby medical facilities.
The tragic incident represents the latest in a series of deadly road accidents that have plagued Afghanistan in recent weeks. The country has experienced nearly 100 traffic-related fatalities within the past week alone. Less than a week before this Kabul accident, another devastating crash occurred in the western province of Herat, killing approximately 78 to 80 people when a bus carrying Afghan migrants returning from Iran collided with a motorcycle and fuel tanker, resulting in a fire that engulfed the vehicle.
The Herat accident claimed the lives of 19 children and several women among its victims. That bus had been carrying Afghan migrants who had been deported from Iran, highlighting the dangerous conditions faced by those traveling Afghanistan’s highways.
Afghanistan’s road network remains treacherous due to poor infrastructure conditions resulting from decades of conflict, dangerous driving practices on highways, and inadequate traffic regulation enforcement. The mountainous terrain and aging vehicle fleet compound these safety challenges, making bus travel particularly hazardous for passengers traveling between provinces.
Additional recent accidents have further illustrated the country’s road safety crisis. On August 24, 2025, three people, including a woman and child, died when a passenger vehicle overturned in the Kohistan district of northern Badakhshan province. Four others sustained injuries in that incident, which provincial police spokesperson Ehsanullah Kamgar also attributed to driver negligence.
Two days earlier, on August 22, 2025, 12 people lost their lives when a tractor plunged into a river in the Garamsir district of southern Helmand province. The victims included three women and nine children, while four other children were injured. Security personnel managed to rescue 14 people from that accident scene.
The recurring nature of these accidents has raised serious questions about road safety standards throughout Afghanistan. Poor road maintenance, inadequate safety infrastructure such as guardrails and warning signs, and the prevalence of overloaded vehicles contribute to the dangerous conditions. Many of the vehicles operating on Afghan roads are aging and poorly maintained, further increasing accident risks.
The Taliban administration has acknowledged the severity of the road safety situation and pledged to investigate the recent crashes while strengthening safety measures. However, progress has been limited amid the country’s ongoing economic challenges and resource constraints. The government faces pressure to implement stricter licensing requirements, improve driver education programs, and invest in critical road repairs and modernization of the vehicle fleet.
For many Afghan families, these accidents represent not only personal tragedies but also economic disasters, as victims often serve as primary breadwinners for households in some of the country’s most impoverished regions. The Kabul-Kandahar highway serves as a vital transportation lifeline connecting rural areas with the capital, where residents seek employment opportunities, medical care, and family reunification.
The Taliban government has initiated investigations into the latest crash to determine whether mechanical failure, driver fatigue, or other contributing factors played roles alongside the cited reckless driving. Authorities continue to emphasize the need for increased enforcement against dangerous driving practices and improved safety standards across Afghanistan’s transportation network.
