Zabul Province road crash
On 3 September 2016, at least 38 people were killed and 28 were injured after a fuel tanker carrying two people collided with a passenger bus carrying over 60 people on the dangerous Kabul-Kandahar highway in the province of Zabul, Afghanistan. The accident comes after an even larger incident that occurred on the same highway in May.[1]
 Kabul-Kandahar Highway near Wardak Province in 2010. This is the highway where the crash took place. | |
| Date | 3 September 2016 |
|---|---|
| Time | Early morning |
| Location | Kabul-Kandahar highway, Zabul Province, Afghanistan. |
| Participants | 60+ passengers on the buses, 2 people in the fuel tanker. |
| Deaths | 38+ |
| Non-fatal injuries | 28 |
| Property damage | One bus and a fuel tanker destroyed. |
Details
A bus carrying over 60 people, including many women and children, was hit by a fuel tanker carrying a driver and a passenger causing a large explosion during the early morning. The truck burst into flames, killing both of its occupants instantly. People in the bus were also burnt to death, resulting in only six people that could be identified by authorities.[2]
Drivers are also known to speed on the highway so as not to get caught in insurgent activity, especially from the Taliban. The aim is to avoid the checkpoints that the Taliban have set up, since they sometimes kidnap and kill civilians, such as what happened during the Kunduz-Takhar highway hostage crisis where hundreds were kidnapped and many killed after they were captured at a Taliban checkpoint. Many passenger buses are also old and unsafe, and Afghanistan has some of the most dangerous roads in the world.[3]
References
- "At Least 38 Killed In Afghanistan After Fuel Tanker Collides With Bus". 4 September 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
- "Fuel tanker, bus collision in Afghanistan kills 38, injures 28". 4 September 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2016 – via Reuters.
- "Bus, fuel tanker collision kills 38 in Afghanistan". 4 September 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2016.