At least 76 people, including men, women and children, were killed on Tuesday when a bus carrying Afghans recently deported from Iran crashed and went up in flames on a highway in Herat, western Afghanistan.
Spokesperson for the Herat governor, Mufti Mohammad Yousuf Saeedi, confirmed the toll and said the vehicle had departed from Islam Qala, a border town near Iran, and was heading toward Kabul when the tragedy occurred.
Video from the scene captured the bus engulfed in flames with thick black smoke rising into the air, while photographs showed the charred wreckage surrounded by bystanders.
Ahmadullah Muttaqi, Director of the Information and Culture Department in Herat Province, said the burned bodies were taken to a provincial hospital and confirmed that 17 children were among the dead.
The crash coincides with Iran’s intensifying deportation of undocumented Afghan migrants.
In March, Tehran announced a program to expel millions of Afghans, many of whom have long lived in the country without legal status and often work in low-paid, difficult jobs.
Deportations accelerated sharply following Iran’s conflict with Israel, amid unverified accusations that Afghans had spied for Israel.
According to the United Nations, more than half a million Afghans were expelled within 16 days after the conflict ended in June, in what is considered one of the largest forced population movements in recent years.
The sudden rise in expulsions and the espionage claims have triggered international condemnation.