At least 79 people, including 19 children, were killed in a tragic bus accident in northwestern Afghanistan as they returned from Iran, according to an official statement.
Interior Ministry spokesperson Abdul Mateen Qani confirmed that two others were injured in the crash. The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday in Herat province, according to Tolo News, citing the official.
The bus collided with a truck and a motorcycle, triggering a massive fire that caused many deaths on the spot.
Traffic accidents are frequent in Afghanistan due to dangerous road conditions and reckless driving.
The victims were among the nearly 1.8 million Afghans recently deported from Iran. Since the beginning of the year, an additional 184,459 Afghans have been expelled from Pakistan, and over 5,000 from Turkey. Almost 10,000 Afghan prisoners have also been repatriated, mainly from Pakistan.
In July, the Taliban condemned neighboring countries for the large-scale expulsions of Afghans, criticizing Iran and Pakistan for deporting individuals they deem to be residing illegally. The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation estimates that around 6 million Afghan refugees are still living abroad.