KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Two separate traffic accidents in Maidan Wardak and Balkh provinces have left seven people dead and three others injured, according to Taliban officials.
In the first incident, the Taliban’s police command in Maidan Wardak said that five people were killed after a Toyota Corolla collided with a Mazda cargo truck in Nerkh district of the province.
According to a statement issued by the command, the accident occurred on Saturday (May 16) along the Kabul–Kandahar highway in the “Shaheedan Gondi” area of Nerkh district. All five occupants of the Corolla were killed, while the driver of the Mazda cargo truck was injured.
The exact cause of the incident was described as “driver negligence.” The Kabul–Kandahar highway has repeatedly witnessed deadly traffic accidents, with traffic authorities often attributing such incidents to excessive speed and reckless driving.
In the second incident, Mohammad Isa Wasiq, spokesperson for the Taliban’s police command in Balkh, said that two people were killed and three others injured after a Toyota Corolla overturned in Kaldar district of the province.
Wasiq said the accident occurred on Saturday (May 16) in “Hairatan Port Township” in Kaldar district. He added that the injured were transferred to Abu Ali Sina Balkhi Regional Hospital for treatment.
The exact cause of the second incident has not yet been determined. However, excessive speed, reckless driving, poor road conditions, and technical vehicle problems remain among the main causes of traffic accidents across Afghanistan.
Traffic accidents are common in Afghanistan and claim hundreds of lives each year, leaving many others injured.
In recent years, concerns over road safety and urban traffic management have increased across Afghanistan, with authorities attempting to impose stricter regulations. However, limited infrastructure, lack of enforcement mechanisms, and economic dependence on informal transport systems continue to complicate efforts to reduce accidents and improve traffic arrangement in major cities.
Traffic accidents claim hundreds of lives each year in Afghanistan and leave many more injured. Officials frequently cite reckless driving, poor road conditions and a lack of traffic signs as the main causes of such incidents.
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.
