UPDATE - 52 dead in 2 traffic accidents in Afghanistan

UPDATES WITH OFFICIAL STATEMENT BY INTERIM TALIBAN ADMINISTRATION, EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – At least 52 people were killed and 56 others injured in two separate traffic accidents in Afghanistan, officials of the interim Taliban administration said on Thursday.

The accidents on Wednesday evening took place along the Kabul-Kandahar highway in the southeastern Ghazni province.

Mullah Hamidullah Nisar, a Taliban spokesman, said the first collision took place in the Nani area of the Andar district when a passenger vehicle collided with a cargo truck. The injured were taken to the capital Kabul for treatment.

The second accident, involving a cargo vehicle and an oil tanker, was reported in the Shahbaz area of the city of Ghazni, along the same highway.

"We urge the relevant authorities to conduct an immediate investigation into the incidents, identify the causes, and take necessary actions to prevent such tragedies in the future," said spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. "These incidents have deeply disturbed and saddened us."