Bloody week on Afghan roads; 26 killed, 86 injured in 9 traffic incidents

Kabul Times News | Shahbanu Noori

Following the increase in traffic accidents in Afghanistan, at least 26 people have been killed and 86 others injured in the past one month alone. This figure was obtained from 9 traffic incidents in eight provinces of the country from July 5 to 11.

A review of the recorded incidents shows that the provinces of Zabul, Samangan, Helmand, Nangarhar, Panjshir, Nuristan, Faryab and Ghazni have witnessed deadly traffic accidents during this period. The incidents occurred on the main highways and busy routes of the country.

In the most recent incident, on Sunday in Gilan district of Ghazni province, a passenger motorcycle type "580" overturned, resulting in the death of three people and the injury of 26 others.

Also in Shahjoy district of Zabul province, a passenger motorcycle overturned on the Kabul-Kandahar highway, leaving one dead and 28 injured. Among the injured in the incident were women and children.

In Samangan province, a passenger motorcycle, type "580", collided with a cargo motorcycle on the Kabul-Mazar-e-Sharif route, killing one person and injuring nine others.

A number of citizens were also killed and injured in incidents in Helmand, Nangarhar, Panjshir, Nuristan and Faryab provinces. In one of these incidents in Faryab, security forces discovered and controlled a mouse head that was allegedly hidden in a vehicle after inspecting it.

The significant increase in traffic accidents in recent months has had its consequences. Statistics show that since the beginning of the solar year, more than 100 traffic accidents have been recorded in different provinces, resulting in dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries.

According to the investigation, speeding, recklessness of drivers, worn-out vehicles and the poor condition of some highways are the main factors behind the increase in these accidents. The Kabul-Herat, Kabul-Jalalabad, Kabul-Kandahar, and Kabul-Mazar-e-Sharif highways continue to be among the routes with the highest number of traffic incidents recorded.