20 killed, 18 injured in two traffic accidents in eastern Afghanistan

Kabul, Jul 30 (EFE).- At least 20 people died and 18 others were injured in two separate traffic accidents that took place on the Kabul-Jalalabad highway in eastern Afghanistan Saturday, officials said.

Both accidents took place early morning in Qarghaee district of Laghman province along the highway connecting eastern province of Nangarhar to the capital city of Kabul, Laghman governor’s spokesperson Asadullah Dawlatzai told EFE.

In the first accident, a passenger car crashed into a bus, resulting in the death of eight passengers, while 10 others were injured.

In the second accident, three cars collided with one other at around 6am in the same district, leaving 12 people dead and eight others injured.

“Women and children were among the victims,” Dawlatzai said, adding that “those killed and injured were transferred to Mehtarlam and Nangarhar hospitals” by the security forces.

Dawlatzai said both accidents took place due to careless driving on the narrow highway, where drivers are often known to exceed the recommended speed limit.

Kabul-Jalalabad highway is one of the most deadly roads in Afghanistan, accounting for a large number of traffic accidents that claim hundreds of lives every year. EFE

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