Kabul, Afghanistan – Twelve people were killed and three others seriously injured in a horrific traffic accident that occurred Saturday afternoon in Badakhshan province, northeastern Afghanistan, according to local authorities.
A spokesman for the Taliban security command in Badakhshan province said the accident occurred in the Samadra area of Arghanjkhwa district
when a passenger van veered off the road due to poor road conditions and plunged into a deep ravine.
The spokesman explained that the van was carrying several passengers, noting that 12 people died
at the scene due to the severity of the impact, while three others sustained critical injuries.
He added that rescue teams worked to recover the victims and the injured,
who were then rushed to nearby health centers for treatment, with reports indicating their conditions were serious.
He emphasized that the poor road infrastructure in the mountainous region was the primary cause of the accident,
noting that many roads in Badakhshan districts suffer from neglect
and a lack of regular maintenance, posing a constant danger to traffic, especially in harsh weather conditions.
This accident comes just one week after a similar traffic incident in the same province,
where a vehicle overturned due to the poor road conditions, killing two people.
This highlights the increasing number of traffic accidents linked to the poor state of the roads.
Badakhshan province is among the Afghan provinces most prone to traffic accidents due to its rugged terrain, narrow mountain roads,
numerous steep inclines, inadequate traffic safety measures, and limited technical resources and rescue capabilities.
Local residents called on the relevant authorities to expedite the repair of damaged roads and improve safety standards,
warning that the number of casualties will continue to rise unless urgent measures are taken to address the state of the infrastructure in the province.
