79 People, Including 17 Children Killed as Bus Collides with Truck in Herat
- On the night of Tuesday, August 19, a bus ferrying refugees from Kabul collided with a fuel tanker and a motorcycle
- Ahmadullah Muttagi, a senior Afghan government official, shared details of the heartbreaking accident
- Photos of the crash site seen by TUKO.co.ke showed the shocking consequences of the crash, as the bus was completely burnt
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Amos Khaemba, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over four years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.
Afghanistan - At least seventy-nine people have been confirmed dead following a nasty accident in Herat.
Source: Getty Images
The BBC reported that the bus travelling to Kabul from neighbouring Iran was involved in an accident on Tuesday, August 19.
Where was the Afghan bus coming from before it crashed?
Authorities said the bus had departed from Islam Qala, a town near the Afghanistan–Iran border, and was bound for Kabul when the tragic accident occurred.
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Ahmadullah Muttagi, a senior Afghan government official, confirmed the grisly accident, saying it involved a bus, a truck and a motorcycle in the western province of Herat near the Iranian boarder.
Preliminary investigations show that the accident occurred after a bus full of passengers collided with a truck ferrying fuel.
After the collision, the bus burst into flames, burning the passengers beyond recognition.
“The car was carrying fuel and it caught fire after a head-on collision with the bus, fully loaded with passengers. The bus also caught fire and the majority of people on the bus died of burn injuries," Muttagi said.
How many children died in the Afghan accident?
According to the official records, 79 people, including 21 women and 17 children, perished in the horrific accident.
Muttagi disclosed that all the victims were Afghan refugees returning home after spending a long time in Iran.
“These Afghan refugees were returning home after spending a long time in Iran, but they could not reach their destination as their bus met with a tragic accident,” Muttagi added.
Photos of the crash site seen by TUKO.co.ke showed the shocking consequences of the crash, with the bus completely burnt out and almost beyond recognition.
Video from the scene also showed the vehicle was engulfed in flames, and thick smoke rose into the sky.
Source: Getty Images
The bodies of the passengers were transported to Herat Provincial Hospital as police launched investigations into the crash, with preliminary reports linking it to overspeeding.
How did the Makutano-Kenol accident occur?
Back in Kenya, several people were feared dead following a nasty accident along the Makutano-Kenol Road.
The Wednesday, August 20, accident occurred after a lorry travelling towards Makutano lost control and swerved into the opposite lane.
The lorry rammed directly into another truck, causing a violent crash that left mangled wreckage scattered across the busy road.
The impact was so severe that the first lorry overturned and tumbled into a nearby riverbed, leaving rescuers scrambling to reach those trapped inside.
Police had a hard time controlling the traffic on the busy road following the accident.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
