A truck carrying Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan overturned in eastern Afghanistan’s Laghman province, killing 22 people and injuring 36 others. Provincial governor’s spokesperson Abdul Malik Niazi said the accident occurred on the main highway connecting Kabul and Nangarhar provinces. Most of the victims were women and children, including ten children and five women. The injured were taken to hospitals in Nangarhar.

Provincial public health director Aminullah Sharif stated that the crash happened when the driver fell asleep, causing the truck to plunge into a ditch. The victims were among many Afghans returning home after Pakistan began a crackdown on undocumented migrants in 2023. Around the same time, Iran also started deporting Afghan migrants, leading to the return of hundreds of thousands of Afghans from both countries.

Authorities have not released further details about the condition of the injured or the ongoing investigation into the accident.