QUETTA: At least 11 Afghan nationals were killed and nine others were injured in a collision between a pickup and an oil tanker near Nokundi area of Chagai district of Balochistan on Sunday.

Officials said that Afghan nationals travelling in a pick-up were trying to illegally migrate to Europe via Iran with the help of an organised network of human smugglers.

They said that 21 Afghans were travelling in an Iran-made vehicle, Zamyad, and crossed the Pakistani border through a road being used by human smugglers. The pick-up, when reached a remote Katcha area, some 35km from Nokundi on Sunday night, collided with an oil tanker coming from the opposite direction.

As a result of the tragic accident, 11 Afghan nationals were killed on the spot while nine others were injured. The local people and rescue teams rushed to the area after they were informed of the incident in the early morning and recovered bodies from the wreckage of the pick-up and shifted the dead and the injured to the nearby health facility.

“We received 11 bodies and nine injured in the district hospital of Nokundi,” Medical Officer Dr Nadir Khan of Nokundi hospital confirmed, adding that the injured were provided treatment in the hospital.

With the help of human smugglers, all were trying to illegally migrate to Europe via Iran, officials claim

He said the condition of all the injured was now stable.

Police officials said all those killed and injured in the accident, except the driver, were Afghan nationals.

“After completion of legal formalities and initial medical treatment, the injured and bodies of the deceased were sent to their native towns in Afghanistan through Afghan border authorities.

Superintendent of Police (SP) of Chagai Mohammad Sharif confirmed the killing of Afghan nationals in the tragic accident and said that the driver of the pick-up, identified as Khudanazar, son of Abdullah, was a resident of Taftan and he died on the spot.

“After necessary legal procedures, the body of the driver has been sent to Taftan, while the remaining deceased and injured, all Afghan nationals, have been repatriated to Afghanistan,”he said.

Mr Sharif said that investigations into the cause of the accident are underway and initial findings suggest speeding led to the accident. He said police are examining all aspects to determine responsibility.

The accident has once again highlighted dangers of high-speed travel and heavy traffic on highways in the border areas of Chagai, where such fatal accidents have become increasingly frequent.

Meanwhile, two other people were killed in Bolan and Sibi in road accidents.

According to police, two people were travelling in the Bolan Pass area when a truck hit their motorbike, killing both of them on the spot. Their bodies were taken to a nearby health facility.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2025