Pickup–tanker collision kills 11 Afghans injures 9 others in Pakistan

At least 11 Afghan nationals have died were killed and nine others injured after a pickup truck collided with an oil tanker in Pakistan late on Sunday.

Officials said the incident occurred near the Nokundi area of Chagai district in the Country’s Balochistan province.

Local residents and rescue teams reached the remote “katcha” area, around 35 kilometres from Nokundi, following reports of the crash early Monday.

They worked together to recover bodies from the wreckage and transferring both the dead and wounded to a nearby health facility, according to Authorities.

Confirming the casualties, Medical Officer Dr Nadir Khan at Nokundi hospital quoted by local media said the facility received “11 bodies and nine injured,”.

He added that the injured were treated at the hospital and their condition was “stable”.

Police officials said that, apart from the driver, all those killed and injured were Afghan nationals.

Officials also said the group had been travelling in a Zamyad pickup and had crossed into Pakistan using a route allegedly used by human smugglers.

A police official said the bodies and injured people were sent back to Afghanistan through cross-border coordination and “in accordance with legal protocol”.

Pakistani security from the region said preliminary investigations indicate the Afghan nationals were attempting to enter Europe illegally from Afghanistan via Iran, facilitated by an “organised human smuggling network”.

The incident comes as Afghan migration and returns remain a major pressure point for families. In a recent meeting, Mawlavi Abdul Kabir, the Minister of Refugees and Repatriation of Afghanistan, said “6.8 million Afghans have returned” since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, adding that the number is increasing.

In the same official statement, Abdul Kabir said stability and the current Afghan authorities has contributed to a decline in outward migration.

He also said a draft plan for a “permanent solution” to migration and internal displacement would help coordinate efforts, attract assistance, identify needs, and clarify areas of work.

Humanitarian groups warn the strain is growing. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says Afghanistan remains among the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, with an estimated 22.9 million people needing assistance in 2025 due to conflict impacts, economic hardship, disasters and climate change.

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