A horrific traffic accident claimed at least 10 lives and left 12 others injured on the Herat-Kandahar highway early Sunday morning, December 23, 2025.Local authorities in Herat province confirmed that the fatal collision occurred around 5:00 a.m.
Kabul 24: in the Zawal district, along one of Afghanistan’s busiest and most dangerous highways.According to Yarmohammad Sadiq, the administrative deputy of Zawal district police command, a 302-type passenger bus traveling from Herat city toward Kandahar collided head-on with a Flycoach minibus carrying passengers from Daikundi province en route to Herat.
The impact was so severe that both vehicles were completely wrecked, leaving several bodies trapped under the twisted wreckage.“The 302 bus was moving at high speed when it entered a sharp curve and crashed directly into the oncoming Flycoach,” Sadiq told reporters.
Rescue teams from the Taliban forces, the Afghan Red Crescent Society, and local residents rushed to the scene. The injured were transported by ambulance and private vehicles to Zawal district hospital and later transferred to the regional hospital in Herat city.
Medical sources report that several of the wounded are in critical condition, raising fears that the death toll may rise.
The Herat-Kandahar highway, despite being a vital artery connecting western and southern Afghanistan, remains notorious for deadly accidents due to deteriorated road conditions, sharp bends, lack of proper signage, speeding, and reckless driving.
In the current solar year alone, more than 15 major accidents have been recorded on this route, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries.
Local Afghan officials have promised to investigate the incident and hold those responsible for traffic violations accountable. However, residents and civil society activists argue that without major road reconstruction, installation of safety barriers, and stricter enforcement of traffic laws, such tragedies will continue unabated.
This latest disaster has once again highlighted the dire state of road safety across Afghanistan, leaving numerous families in mourning and underscoring the urgent need for infrastructure improvements and better traffic management.
