By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi
July 31, 2021
At least 20 people have been killed and 18 others injured in two separate traffic accidents, local officials told RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi.
Both accidents took place in Laghman Province on the main highway linking the Afghan capital, Kabul, and eastern Nangarhar Province, Asadullah Dawlatzai, a spokesman for the Laghman provincial governor said.
Dawlatzai said 12 people were killed and eight others injured on July 31 when two vehicles collided in the district of Qarghayi.
He also said that, late on July 30 in the same area, another eight people were killed and 10 others injured when a minibus collided with a car on the same highway.
Children were among those killed and injured.
Dawlatzai said the injured were transferred to hospitals in Laghman and Nangarhar provinces for treatment.
A police spokesman in Laghman province said the accidents were caused by drivers’ carelessness.
Traffic accidents are common in Afghanistan, due to poor road conditions, limited car maintenance, and reckless driving.
With reporting by AP and dpa