KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – At least four people were killed and 11 others injured in separate traffic accidents in Afghanistan’s Daykundi and Badakhshan provinces on Friday, Taliban authorities said, as road crashes continue to rise across the country.
In Badakhshan province, three people died and two were injured when a Pasoo-type vehicle veered off the road and overturned in Kishm district, according to the provincial Taliban security command. Authorities attributed the crash to driver negligence and poor road conditions.
In Daykundi province, one person was killed and nine others injured when a passenger vehicle veered off the road and overturned in Miramur district, the provincial Taliban security command reported. The injured were transferred to a hospital in Ghazni province for treatment.
Traffic accidents remain a major public safety issue in Afghanistan, driven by poorly maintained roads, lack of traffic signs and reckless driving, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries annually.
Road crashes have surged since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Data reviewed by Etilaatroz and KabulNow indicate a fivefold rise in accidents, with 1,187 recorded between March 2021 and March 2022, rising to 2,662 the following year, and at least 5,520 between March 2023 and March 2024, a nearly 80% increase over two years. Recent reports indicate the trend has persisted, with hundreds killed and injured in recent months across multiple provinces.
