Afghan official: 16 people killed in traffic accident

KABUL – An Afghan official says at least 16 people, including women and children, have been killed in a traffic accident in the country’s southern Kandahar province.

Aziz Ahmad Azizi, spokesman for the provincial governor, says 25 others were injured Saturday morning when a passenger bus collided into a tanker truck in Zhari district.

Azizi said three women and three young children were among those killed in the accident.

A number of the injured have been hospitalized in critical condition, he said.

Traffic accidents are common in Afghanistan with most accidents on main highways due to reckless driving at high speeds. The bad condition of most roads is another factor.