Afghanistan bus accident kills 35 Published duration 20 August 2011

media caption Injured survivors of the bus crash are being treated at a local hospital

At least 35 people have been killed and several more injured in a bus crash in southern Afghanistan.

Officials in Kandahar province said the bus was travelling at speed along the main road linking Kandahar city to the capital, Kabul.

The driver lost control and the bus overturned.

Road traffic accidents are common in Afghanistan, and are usually blamed on bad roads, unsafe vehicles and poor driving.

Afghan officials said the accident happened in the early hours of Saturday in the Daman area, about 25 miles (40km) east of Kandahar city.

"This morning we received 35 dead and 24 injured from a bus crash incident," said the head of Kandahar Public Health, Abdul Qayoom Pokhla.

A Kandahar government spokesman said many of the injured were in serious conditions.

Provincial traffic department head Mohammadollah blamed the driver for the accident, saying he was fast and reckless, according to local media reports.

Mohammadollah said a team had been despatched to the area to investigate.

The Interior Ministry issued a statement warning people to drive carefully "because a small reckless move can endanger many lives".