A terrible crash in Afghanistan has claimed the lives of 76 people, including 17 children. The accident involved a bus, a lorry, and a motorbike, leaving behind a scene of destruction.

The bus, which was carrying Afghan refugees, caught fire immediately after the collision. Shocking images from Herat province show the vehicle burning while passers-by tried to put out the flames.

Ahmadullah Muttaqi, the Taliban’s director of information and culture, confirmed that everyone inside the bus died, along with two people from the other vehicles.

He said the passengers were Afghan refugees who had recently been deported from Iran.

Mohammad Yousuf Saeedi, spokesman for the Herat provincial government, also reported that 76 people were killed and three others were seriously injured. According to him, the victims had boarded the bus in Islam Qala after returning from Iran.

Police in Herat said the accident was caused by the bus driver’s excessive speed and careless driving. This negligence turned the journey into one of the deadliest road disasters in the region.

The bus was carrying Afghans who had been forced to return from Iran and were on their way to the capital, Kabul. Many of them were undocumented migrants facing deportation.

In recent months, Iran has increased deportations of Afghan migrants, pushing thousands back across the border. Authorities in Iran had earlier announced a July deadline for undocumented Afghans to leave the country voluntarily before enforcement began.