One killed, 28 injured after passenger bus turns turtle in Afghan highway

Kabul, July 6 (IANS) At least one commuter lost his life and 28 others sustained injuries after a passenger bus veered off the road and overturned in southern Afghanistan’s Zabul province on Monday, a local police official announced.

The incident occurred on the outskirts of Shah Joy district when the bus, en route from western Herat to the capital Kabul, veered off the road and flipped over due to a technical malfunction, said Zabihullah Jawhar, the provincial police spokesman.

All casualties were swiftly evacuated by police and local residents to nearby medical facilities, where the injured remain under observation and treatment, Jawhar added, Xinhua News Agency reported.

On June 20, at least five commuters have been confirmed dead and seven others injured after their vehicle turned turtle in eastern Afghanistan’s Parwan province, a local police official reported.

The accident occurred in the Mandiqol area of Kohi Safi district when the vehicle veered off the road due to a suspected technical failure and turned over, killing five passengers on the spot and injuring seven others, according to provincial police spokesman Fazul Rahim Muskenyar.

The injured were rushed to medical facilities in Kabul for treatment, Muskenyar said.

On June 15, four travellers including a child were killed and four others sustained injuries as a mini-bus turned turtle in eastern Afghanistan’s Wardak province, provincial police spokesman Mohammad Yusuf Israr said.

The deadly mishap took place in Saydabad district, leaving four dead, including a mother, her child and two more women at the scene, and injuring four others, some in critical condition, the official said. A similar accident left one dead and injured four others in Kunar province.

On May 3, at least three commuters were confirmed dead following a high-speed collision between a passenger vehicle and a truck in northern Afghanistan’s Faryab province, the provincial police office said in a statement.

The accident occurred on the outskirts of Andkhoy district, according to the provincial police office. All three victims were travelling in the high-speed vehicle at the time of the crash.

Authorities did not provide further details but confirmed that an investigation has been initiated into the mishap.

–IANS

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