RASC News Agency: Traffic incidents in Balkh province have claimed the lives of 123 individuals over the past ten months, according to the Taliban-led traffic management department in the region. Officials report that during this period of the current solar year, more than 120 traffic accidents have been documented in Balkh. These incidents resulted in 123 fatalities and injuries to 177 others. The majority of these accidents occurred on the highways connecting Balkh to Jowzjan, Samangan, and the provincial capital, Mazar-e-Sharif.
The Taliban’s traffic management in Balkh cited several causes for these tragedies, including “narrow and poorly maintained roads, the presence of unregistered and mechanically unfit vehicles, reckless driving, and a lack of adherence to traffic regulations.” Within the past week alone, three accidents claimed six lives in the province. To address this issue, Taliban traffic officials in Balkh have reportedly increased checkpoints along major highways in an effort to prevent further incidents. Elsewhere in the country, traffic-related fatalities are also on the rise.
Badakhshan and Herat provinces rank next after Balkh in terms of casualties. The traffic department in Badakhshan reported two major incidents in the past month, resulting in six deaths. Similarly, three accidents were recorded in Nangarhar province. The deteriorated condition of Afghanistan’s roads, exacerbated by years of neglect and destruction much of which stems from Taliban-instigated explosions in previous years remains a significant contributor to these accidents, further endangering the lives of travelers and residents alike.
