Seventy-nine individuals, including 17 children, lost their lives in a recent bus crash in Afghanistan, with victims primarily consisting of deported Afghan migrants from Iran.
Tragic Bus Crash Claims Lives of Afghan Deportees from Iran

Tragic Bus Crash Claims Lives of Afghan Deportees from Iran
A devastating accident in western Afghanistan highlights the perilous journey of deported migrants.
A horrific traffic accident in western Afghanistan has left 79 people dead, comprising mainly Afghan migrants deported from Iran. The tragic incident occurred late Tuesday night when the bus, which was transporting deportees to Kabul, collided with a truck and a motorcycle in Herat province, resulting in a fire that consumed all passengers onboard and two individuals in the other vehicles. Ahmadullah Mottaqi, the Taliban's director of information and culture in Herat, confirmed the casualty toll to BBC Pashto.
The event has raised serious concerns as Iran continues to ramp up its deportation of undocumented Afghan migrants who have fled conflict back home. Reports indicate that the bus had picked up its passengers from Islam Qala, a town near the Afghanistan-Iran border. Eyewitness accounts from Herat police pointed to the bus driver’s excessive speed and negligence as contributing factors to the accident. Traffic-related deaths are all too common in Afghanistan, where infrastructure deteriorates due to decades of conflict and lax enforcement of driving regulations.
This devastating crash is a stark reminder of the difficult circumstances faced by millions of Afghans; since the 1970s, millions have sought refuge in neighboring countries like Iran and Pakistan, especially during periods of political upheaval. Unfortunately, growing anti-Afghan sentiment in Iran has made life increasingly challenging for deported individuals, many of whom have lived there for generations.
Prior to the June war with Israel, Iranian authorities had urged undocumented Afghan migrants to return voluntarily, but post-conflict, there has been an alarming increase in forced repatriations, which critics argue are politically motivated. United Nations reports indicate over 1.5 million Afghans have been expelled from Iran since the start of this year, igniting fears about the ability of the Afghan government to accommodate these returnees given its already limited resources.
Experts warn that, alongside the ongoing displacement from Pakistan, this surge of returnees comes amid drastic reductions in international aid, exacerbating Afghanistan's humanitarian crises. Activists like Arshad Malik from Save the Children Afghanistan underline the increased strain on resources posed by the influx of returnees, calling for immediate attention to the needs of those affected by both the conflict and the deteriorating conditions in their homeland.