A bus collided today, April 26, with the wreckage of a truck that had been attacked by Taliban insurgents in southern Afghanistan, killing at least 45 people on board according to the Associated Press.
The oil tanker was left in the middle of a narrow road near the border of Kandahar and Helmand provinces for "several days" after insurgents reportedly attacked it. Police considered the location too dangerous to enter according to police officials.
The bus crashed into the truck before sunrise and burst into flames according to Provincial Police Chief Abdul Razaq.
"The bus began its journey in the capital of Helmand province and was scheduled to stop in Kandahar city, then travel north to Kabul, the Afghan capital, Razaq said according to the Associated Press.
Police, ambulances, and soldiers got to the crash site in the desolate area in under an hour, but many of the victims were burned by that point beyond recognition.
"I don't care about my belongings and money that were burned inside the bus, but please help me find my brother, dead or alive," said Mohammad Habib, a survivor, to AP Television News. "How will I face my mother without him?"
At least 10 others have been reported as injured according to Javeed Faisal, the spokesman for the governor of Kandahar province.
Traffic accidents are common in Afghanistan since rules are often ignored by a mix of cars, trucks, pedestrians and even animals.
Roads outside the capital are poorly maintained and people traveling knowing that they are subject to roadside bombs and robberies at any second.
Just last fall, a bus and truck collided and exploded into flames on a nearby highway, killing 51 people according to the Associated Press.
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