At least 15 people have died after a minibus veered off the road and plunged into a valley in Badakhshan province, northeastern Afghanistan, authorities said on Saturday.
A provincial police spokesperson explained that the vehicle lost control while travelling toward the provincial capital, Faizabad, citing poorly maintained and damaged roads as a contributing factor.
The victims included six children, five women, and four men.
Three of the injured later succumbed to their injuries in hospital, bringing the confirmed death toll to 15.
Road accidents are a frequent occurrence in Afghanistan, often linked to deteriorating infrastructure, reckless driving, and limited traffic enforcement after decades of conflict.
In August 2025, 78 people, including more than a dozen children, were killed in Herat province when a bus carrying migrants returning from Iran collided with a motorcycle and a truck.
In a separate incident that same month near Kabul, 25 people died after a bus overturned, with officials citing driver negligence as the primary cause.
Authorities continue to call for improved road safety measures and infrastructure maintenance to prevent such tragedies.
