Bus crash kills dozens of Afghans deported from Iran

Dozens of Afghans recently deported from Iran were killed on Tuesday after a bus crash in western Afghanistan.

Citing local authorities, the AFP news agency reported that more than 50 people were killed in the crash.

What is known about the crash

Spokesperson for the Herat provincial government, Mohammad Yousuf Saeedi, told AFP that the bus was carrying Afghans who had been deported from Iran and had been heading to Kabul.

Police said the bus first collided with a motorcycle and then hit the truck, which had been carrying fuel, before bursting into flames.

"All the passengers were migrants who had boarded the vehicle in Islam Qala," said Saeedi, referring to a border crossing point.

Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed to German news agency dpa that the victims had been deported from Iran, but said further details were not immediately available.

A large number of Afghans — who fled decades of war and humanitarian crises — have returned from Iran in recent months, following pressure from Tehran to force millions of Afghan migrants to leave.

According to the UN, over 1.2 million Afghans have returned or have been forced to return from Iran and Pakistan this year alone.