KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – At least four people were killed, eight injured, and 10 remained missing after a truck carrying Afghan refugees deported from Pakistan plunged into a river in eastern Laghman province, Taliban authorities said on Friday.
In a statement, the Taliban police command in Laghman said the incident happened at around 10:30 p.m. on Thursday along the Kabul-Jalalabad highway in Laghman’s Surobi district, one of the country’s busiest and most hazardous roads.
According to the statement, the vehicle was carrying 22 Afghans, including members of the same family, who had recently been deported from Pakistan and were travelling toward Kabul when it lost control and plunged into the river.
The Taliban command said four people were confirmed dead at the scene, while eight others were injured and transferred to nearby health facilities. Search and rescue teams were continuing efforts on Friday to locate the 10 missing passengers.
Taliban authorities blamed driver negligence for the crash but said investigations were ongoing to determine the exact cause.
The incident comes as thousands of Afghans continue returning from Pakistan daily amid an ongoing deportation campaign, with many travelling long distances on overcrowded and poorly maintained roads to reach their home provinces.
The Kabul–Jalalabad highway, which links eastern Afghanistan to the capital, has long been known for its sharp turns, heavy traffic, and difficult terrain. Similar deadly incidents involving returning refugees have been recorded on the route in recent months.
A month earlier, at least 18 people were killed, and 29 others were injured when a vehicle carrying returnees overturned in Qarghayi district of Laghman.
Similar incidents have also occurred on other major routes across Afghanistan. In August last year, at least 100 Afghan returnees were killed or injured in two separate traffic accidents on the Kabul–Kandahar highway while travelling after deportation from Iran.
Traffic accidents remain a major cause of death in Afghanistan, where damaged roads, overloaded vehicles, reckless driving, and limited traffic enforcement continue to contribute to frequent fatal incidents.
