The bodies of 14 Afghans attempting to reach Iran were found in a scorching desert in southwestern Afghanistan, officials said Saturday, weeks after their vehicle broke down and the group set off on foot.
Authorities had been searching for the group since the driver staggered into a village in Nimroz province, parched and exhausted, seeking help. Five bodies were found soon after, prompting a search for the remaining 14 who had continued on foot. Nimroz is one of Afghanistan’s hottest and most arid provinces, with temperatures hovering around 45°C at this time of year.
A source at the Nimroz provincial hospital told AFP that the 14 bodies were found buried in sand. Provincial government spokesman Abdul Mutawakil Tawhidi confirmed the discovery on Friday.
Iran remains a popular destination for Afghan migrants seeking economic opportunities unavailable at home, but legal avenues for entry are scarce. “These 14 young men are from our village. They had left home 23 days ago, and today we are receiving their bodies,” said Abdul Khaleq, a resident of Qolghi in the eastern province of Badghis, speaking to AFP before heading to the cemetery for the burial.
Afghan authorities said they are “firmly continuing their fight against… human trafficking,” Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani said in a statement to national broadcaster RTA.
While temperatures in the border areas between Afghanistan and Iran can soar in summer, they also plunge to dangerous lows in winter. At least 18 Afghans died attempting the same perilous crossing in the cold last December, including a fifteen-year-old boy.
