UAE expresses solidarity with Afghanistan over victims of bus crash that killed 79 people

The United Arab Emirates expressed its solidarity with Afghanistan and conveyed its sincere condolences over victims of the traffic accident bus collision which resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries in Herat province, western Afghanistan.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) conveyed the UAE’s sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims, as well as to the people of Afghanistan over this tragedy, along with its wishes for a speedy recovery for all the injured.

The bus crash in northwestern Afghanistan killed at least 79 people returning from Iran, including 19 children, an official said.

Two people were also injured in the crash, Ministry of Interior spokesperson Abdul Mateen Qani told media.

Tolo News, citing the official, said the accident happened Tuesday around 8:30 p.m. local time in Herat province. The bus collided with a truck and a motorbike, causing a massive fire that killed many on the spot, the outlet reported.

Traffic accidents are common in Afghanistan, mainly due to poor road conditions and driver carelessness.

Nearly 1.8 million Afghans have been forcibly returned from Iran in the past few months. A further 184,459 were sent back from Pakistan and more than 5,000 were deported from Turkey since the beginning of the year. Additionally, nearly 10,000 Afghan prisoners have been repatriated, mostly from Pakistan.