At least 79 killed as bus carrying Afghans deported from Iran crashes in Herat | World News
An overcrowded bus carrying Afghans expelled from Iran crashed in western Afghanan and at least 79 people were killed, authorities said on Wednesday.
The crash on the Herat-Kabul highway involved a motorcycle, a truck and a bus late on Tuesday, said Ahmdullah Muttaqi, head of the information department for Herat’s provincial government. The bus was carrying Afghan refugees expelled from Iran, part of an exodus of hundreds of thousands of people, who were on their way from the border to Kabul.
Abdul Mateen Qaniee, the spokesperson for the Minry of Interior, said that the bus caught fire after the accident, which happened a 30-minute drive outside Herat. He said on Wednesday that the death toll was 79, with 17 children among the deceased.
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Video footage from the scene showed bright flames engulfing the bus, with a fire truck trying to douse the flames. A charred metal skeleton remained of the bus afterwards, pictures showed.
A bus crash in Herat, western Afghanan, has killed more than 50 people, according to police. pic.twitter.com/AtEe9EReo3
— TabZ (@TabZLIVE) August 19, 2025
Traffic accidents are common in Afghanan, with poor infrastructure exacerbated decades of war, and drivers not following the rules.
“We urge transportation authorities to provide accurate information about the accident as soon as possible and to share their findings regarding the responsible party,” said Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Afghan government.
په هرات کي د مهاجرينو د وړونکي غټ بس موټر پيښه چي له موټر سایکل او مازدا وسایلو سره يی حادثه کړې حقيقت لري اوساحې ته نيژدې سوي يو بيابه مکمل صورتحال شريک کړو pic.twitter.com/58HKHbVWdI
— Ahmadullah Muttaqi | احمدالله متقي (@Ahmadmuttaqi01) August 19, 2025
Herat, a key border province of Afghanan touching Iran and Turkmenan, is currently hosting tens of thousands of deported migrants from Iran.
