At least 10 children among the dead as a packed truck carrying families returning from Pakistan flips on major highway.

At least 18 people, including women and children, were killed when a cargo truck carrying recently returned Afghan refugees from Pakistan overturned on a major highway in eastern Afghanistan, authorities said.

Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the crash took place in the Qarghayi district of Laghman province on Saturday.

The vehicle, heavily loaded with displaced families and their household belongings, veered off the road at approximately 5:30am local time (01:00 GMT) near the Surkhakan intersection in Qarghayi district.

The provincial Director of Public Health Aminullah Sharif said the accident occurred when the truck fell into a ditch after the driver fell asleep.

Authorities said at least 10 children were among the dead.

Abdul Malik Niazay, a spokesperson for the Laghman provincial governor, said more than 30 other passengers were injured, some critically. The families had been temporarily staying in eastern Kunar province and were en route to the capital, Kabul.

Emergency services quickly transferred the wounded to medical facilities in neighbouring Nangarhar province, where several remain in intensive care.

The central government expressed formal condolences to the families of the victims. The Taliban’s Mujahid said in a post on X, “we pray for the speedy recovery of the injured”, adding that he was “deeply saddened” by the tragedy which took place at the end of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority announced 730,000 afghanis ($10,000) in emergency financial assistance for the affected families.

Deadly traffic accidents are common in Afghanistan, where highways are severely degraded after decades of conflict, vehicles are poorly maintained, and traffic regulations are seldom enforced.

At least 20 people have been killed in three separate traffic accidents reported across Afghanistan over the past 10 days, according to local Taliban authorities and media reports.

The tragedy highlights the growing strain on transportation infrastructure as hundreds of thousands of Afghans return from neighbouring countries. According to United Nations figures, more than 447,000 Afghans have crossed back from Pakistan this year alone following a sustained crackdown on undocumented migrants by Islamabad. International aid groups warn that forced expulsions are compelling families to travel in hazardous, packed commercial cargo trucks.