A man carries an injured girl to a hospital for treatment after a truck carrying Afghan families overturned in Jalalabad on May 30, 2026. (Photo by Aimal Zahir / AFP)
Jalalabad, Afghanistan: A truck overturned in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, killing 18 people on board including 10 children, a provincial official told AFP.
Deadly traffic crashes are common in Afghanistan, due in part to poor roads after decades of conflict, dangerous driving and a lack of regulation.
The vehicle was carrying Afghan families returning from Pakistan, where they had been living, according to Abdul Malik Niazai, spokesperson for the governor of Laghman province.
"Eighteen people (have died), including 10 children, five women and three men. In addition, 29 people have been injured," the spokesperson said.
Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a post on X "we pray for the speedy recovery of the injured", adding that he was "deeply saddened" by the tragedy which took place at the end of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.
The accident happened on the road between Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan and capital Kabul.
