1st LD Writethru: 18 killed in W. Afghan bus accident

Some 18 people were killed while three others wounded after a mini bus plunged at a ravine in western Afghanistan's province of Badghis on Sunday, an official source said. "The incident took place in Band-e-Mangan, a mountainous area in Bala Murghab district at around 10:00 a.m. (local time) Sunday. The ill-fated vehicle was traveling from western Herat province to the northern part of the country," district governor Ahmad Zia Akazai told Xinhua.

The injured were shifted to a hospital by the locals. A rescue team and police were dispatched to the area to shift the bodies, the official noted.

Reckless driving might be the reason for the deadly accident, the governor added.

Although there is no statistic on the road-accident related casualties in Afghanistan, careless driving on the congested roads in the war-battered country often claims the lives of hundreds of travelers annually. Endit