A passenger bus overturned in Afghanistan’s capital on Wednesday morning, August 27, 2025, killing at least 25 people and injuring 27 others in the latest deadly traffic accident to strike the country. The crash occurred in the early morning hours in the Arghandi area of Kabul as the bus was traveling from southern Afghanistan.
The bus was carrying passengers from Helmand and Kandahar provinces when it rolled over on the highway connecting the southern city of Kandahar to the capital. Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani attributed the accident to the driver’s negligence and confirmed that “reckless driving caused the accident, which also injured 27 people.”
The injured passengers were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment, though officials did not specify the extent of their injuries. Police and emergency services responded to the scene and worked to extract victims from the overturned vehicle. The crash site was located on the busy Kabul-Kandahar highway, a major transportation route for travelers moving between Afghanistan’s southern provinces and the capital.
This incident represents the second major bus accident in Afghanistan within a week. Less than seven days earlier, approximately 78 to 80 people were killed in another devastating crash in the western province of Herat. That accident involved a bus carrying Afghan migrants who had been deported from Iran, which collided with a motorcycle and a fuel tanker in the Guzara district, resulting in a fire that engulfed the vehicle. Among the victims in the Herat crash were 19 children and several women.
The recent string of accidents has highlighted Afghanistan’s ongoing struggle with road safety. Traffic crashes are common throughout the country due to several contributing factors, including poorly maintained roads damaged by decades of conflict, dangerous driving practices on highways, and limited enforcement of traffic regulations. Many vehicles in Afghanistan are aging and poorly maintained, while roads often lack proper safety features such as guardrails or adequate warning signs.
Afghanistan has experienced multiple deadly road accidents in recent months beyond the two major bus crashes. On August 24, 2025, three people, including a woman and child, died when a passenger vehicle overturned in the Kohistan district of northern Badakhshan province. Provincial police spokesperson Ehsanullah Kamgar cited driver negligence as the cause of that accident, which also injured four others who were taken to local health centers.
Two days earlier on August 22, 2025, 12 people, including three women and nine children, died when a tractor plunged into a river in the Garamsir district of southern Helmand province. Four additional children were injured in that incident, while security personnel rescued 14 people from the scene. These accidents collectively claimed nearly 100 lives within a single week, underscoring the severity of Afghanistan’s transportation safety crisis.
The Taliban administration has acknowledged the urgent need to address road safety issues and has pledged to investigate the causes of recent accidents. Officials have indicated they plan to strengthen road safety measures and review current transportation standards, though the government faces significant challenges in implementing widespread reforms given ongoing economic constraints and limited resources.
The Kabul-Kandahar highway, where Wednesday’s accident occurre,d serves as a vital transportation link for residents of southern Afghanistan seeking employment opportunities, medical care, or family connections in the capital. Many passengers on such routes are breadwinners supporting families in some of Afghanistan’s most economically disadvantaged regions, making these accidents particularly devastating for affected communities.
Afghanistan’s transportation infrastructure has suffered from decades of neglect, war damage, and underinvestment. Roads throughout the country are frequently riddled with potholes, bridges remain in disrepair, and many routes lack basic safety infrastructure. The combination of poor road conditions, inadequate vehicle maintenance, and limited driver education has created a dangerous environment for travelers across the nation.
The Taliban government has launched investigations into the recent crashes to determine whether mechanical failure, driver fatigue, or other factors beyond reckless driving may have contributed to the accidents. However, meaningful improvements to Afghanistan’s road safety record will likely require sustained investment in infrastructure repairs, vehicle safety standards, and driver training programs.