Tragedy in Afghanistan: Explosion on bus with deported citizens kills 76+
Road accident in Afghanistan (Photo: ElLitoralSV, X)
A major tragedy has occurred in Afghanistan - a bus carrying people deported from Iran was involved in a crash and caught fire, according to CNN.
On Tuesday, August 20, one of the deadliest road accidents in recent years took place in western Afghanistan.
The bus, transporting Afghan citizens recently deported from Iran, crashed on a highway near the city of Herat and subsequently burst into flames. According to official data from local authorities, at least 76 people were killed, including 17 children.
According to the spokesman for the governor of Herat, Mufti Mohammad Yousuf Saeedi, the bus had departed from the border town of Islam Qala and was heading to Kabul when the collision occurred.
Video and photos from the scene of the tragedy show the vehicle completely engulfed in flames, leaving behind only a charred frame.
Internacionales Un autobús con ciudadanos afganos procedentes de Irán chocó contra una motocicleta y un camión cisterna en Guzara, Herat. El accidente provocó un incendio y dejó al menos 76 personas fallecidas. pic.twitter.com/xWI4xmCD4r
— @ESpectaNoticias (@espectanoticias) August 20, 2025
According to a statement issued by officials in Herat province, many of the victims were likely women and children, but they sustained such severe burns that their gender could not be identified. All the charred bodies of the passengers were taken to a local hospital.
The statement also noted that the bus may have collided with a truck carrying barrels of fuel.
The disaster occurred amid a wave of forced deportations of Afghans from Iran. Tehran has intensified expulsions, accusing migrants of collaborating with Israel following the latest escalation in the Middle East.
According to the UN, in just a few weeks after the end of the Iran-Israel conflict in June, more than half a million Afghans were expelled from the country - an event that could become one of the largest mass displacements of people in the past decade.
#Breaking: Devastating Bus Crash in Afghanistan
— Your Daily Digest (@GalacticScope) August 21, 2025
Last night, on the Herat-Kabul highway in Guzara District, an overcrowded bus carrying Afghan returnees from Iran was involved in a catastrophic collision involving a motorcycle and a fuel truck. Moments later, the bus erupted… pic.twitter.com/b2DWuQgh83
International organizations and human rights groups have already expressed concern not only about the scale of the deportations but also about the conditions Afghan families face upon their return.
In recent months, nearly 1.8 million Afghans have been forcibly returned from Iran. Another 184,459 people were sent back from Pakistan, and over 5,000 were deported from Turkey since the beginning of the year. In addition, nearly 10,000 Afghan prisoners have been repatriated, mostly from Pakistan.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Taliban leaders over the persecution of women in Afghanistan.
