KABUL, AFGHNAISTAN – At least nine people have died and several others were injured in separate road accidents in Afghanistan, local authorities reported on Sunday, 8 February.
In Samangan province, a collision involving a Mercedes Actros truck and two passenger vehicles on the Samangan–Baghlan highway claimed the lives of four people and injured five others. The provincial police spokesperson, Hashmatullah Rahmani, said the injured were transferred to hospital, with some in critical condition. The cause of the accident remains unclear.
Meanwhile, in Nangarhar province, three separate traffic incidents occurred on the same night. The first involved a trailer and a Babaji vehicle on the Torkham–Jalalabad highway in the Khogyani district, killing three people and injuring three more. The second accident occurred in the third district of Jalalabad city, where a Mazda vehicle hit a pedestrian, who later died in hospital. In the third incident, a truck collided with a motorcycle in the ninth district of Jalalabad, resulting in the death of the motorcyclist. The police did not provide explanations for the causes of the Nangarhar accidents.
Authorities have urged drivers to follow traffic regulations and exercise caution on the roads to prevent further fatalities.
Road accidents are a leading cause of death in Afghanistan, with hundreds killed and injured each year. Poor road conditions, reckless driving, and a lack of traffic signs are frequently cited as contributing factors.
The incidents in Samangan and Nangarhar follow a similar tragedy in Badakhshan province the previous day, where a vehicle fell into a ravine, killing 15 people, including six children.
