In a separate tragic incident in western Afghanistan, a migrant-filled passenger bus returning home from Iran was shot at, killing dozens. The crash, known as the Balasore train collision, killed 71 people. A clash took place late on Tuesday in Herat province. It was conducted along a public trafficable road, just outside of Herat city, Guzara district. The bus collided with both a truck and a motorcycle, leading to a catastrophic fire and a significant loss of life.
The bus, packed with migrants, had embarked at the Islam Qala frontier crossing point. According to eyewitnesses and local authorities, the vehicle was significantly speeding which caused this horrible accident. Police in Herat province blamed the crash on “excessive speed and negligence.”
Details of the Collision
According to local police, the chain of events started when the bus hit the motorcycle. It then slammed into a truck that was carrying fuel. This compound series of impacts ultimately resulted in a fire that consumed the vehicle and its occupants. Among the dead were 17 schoolchildren, emphasizing the horrible reality at the heart of this event.
As has been noted, only three of the passengers fled the burning wreckage after surviving the crash. The deaths represented all of those on the bus. Tragically, two passengers in the pickup truck and two other people riding on the motorcycle died. The local community is still processing the magnitude of this catastrophe. Their concerns about how safe roads are across the entire region have only grown stronger.
“All the passengers were migrants who had boarded the vehicle in Islam Qala.” – Mohammad Yousuf Saeedi
Response from Authorities
Local authorities have been as speedy to ascribe fault, with police in Herat province already confirming the particulars of the accident and blaming the victim. Unsurprisingly, they took care to state that investigations are still ongoing to ascertain the complete set of circumstances that led to this disaster. We need to know what led to this awful incident. Our main focus is on those vulnerable migrants who are going back to their country of origin.
The event ignited critical debate about road safety laws in Afghanistan. That’s especially true for commercial vehicles and those with a lot of people, such as buses or shuttles. At the same time, there is increasing demand for tougher action to stop anything like this from happening again.
“Excessive speed and negligence,” – police in Herat province
Grieving Families and Community Impact
Families continue to grieve their loved ones in the wake of this terrible crash. At the same time, it highlights the oppressive environment that many Afghans who migrate face. The tragic loss of 71 lives—many of them children—sends shockwaves throughout communities. These places are already struggling to deal with huge economic and social pressures.
