The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Five Afghan migrants have been found dead and 14 others remain missing after a group attempting to enter Iran through an irregular border route became stranded in the Margo Desert in Chakhansur district of Nimroz province, Taliban officials said.
According to Abdul Matokil Tawhidi, spokesperson for the Taliban governor in Nimroz, 20 Afghan nationals set out several days ago to cross into Iran through an unauthorized route. Their vehicle broke down in the Margo Desert after experiencing repeated mechanical problems.
Tawhidi said the driver and one passenger left the vehicle to search for water, assistance, and repair equipment, telling the remaining passengers that a nearby village could provide help. However, a severe dust storm swept through the area before they returned.
Unable to withstand the harsh conditions, the remaining passengers dispersed in different directions in an attempt to save themselves, he said. When the driver and his companion returned, they found no one at the scene.
According to Tawhidi, the vehicle was repaired, but the two men later lost their way in the storm and became stuck in the sand. One of them eventually managed to reach Zaranj, the provincial capital, and informed local authorities about the incident.
The Taliban governor's office said the incident occurred four days ago, after which police and intelligence forces launched a large-scale search operation.
Meanwhile, the Taliban police command in Nimroz said security forces have recovered the bodies of five young men believed to have been attempting to cross into Iran through a smuggling route.
Police spokesperson Gul Mohammad Qudrat said 14 members of the 19-person group remain missing and search operations are continuing.
According to reports, the migrants had been traveling through the deserts of Helmand and Nimroz on an irregular route toward Iran. The five recovered victims are believed to have died from extreme heat and a lack of water, while the fate of the remaining 14 people remains unknown.
There is, however, a discrepancy between statements from Taliban officials regarding the identity of the recovered bodies. While the Taliban governor's office indicated uncertainty over whether the five bodies belonged to the missing group, the Taliban police said the recovered victims were confirmed members of the same group. Search efforts for the remaining missing migrants are ongoing.
