At least 21 dead & 38 injured after bus crashed into tanker sparking fireball after driver lost control in Afghanistan
AT LEAST 21 people are dead and another 38 injured after a bus crashed into a tanker sparking a huge fireball in Afghanistan.
The driver of the tanker reportedly lost control of the vehicle before it collided with the oncoming tanker and erupted into flames.
A motorcycle is also reported to have been involved in the crash, with photos in local media showing a tanker on fire on the dusty road and the wreckage of vehicles from the accident.
The incident took place on the Kandahar-Herat highway, in the Gereshk district of Helmand, the provincial government said.
Mohammad Qasim Riaz, spokesperson for the governor of Helmand, said the incident occurred at 4am local time on Sunday.
The spokesperson added that the incident is under investigation by the province traffic police, and the injured have been transferred to hospitals.
In a statement posted to X (formerly Twitter), the provincial information department said: "On (March 17), 21 people were killed and 38 people were injured due to a collision between a tanker, a motorcycle and a passenger bus."
As per local reports, among the injured, 11 were seriously wounded and 27 had minor injuries.
The passenger bus caught fire after the collision, according to sources, resulting in the burning of most of the victims’ bodies.
Images of the aftermath show remains of the vehicles scattered across the highway and the tanker's crushed cabin.
