Brake failure caused crash that sparked Kabul riots

A ROAD crash that sparked a deadly riot in the Afghan capital occurred because a military truck lost its brakes as it was coming down a hill and ploughed into a line of cars, the US military said yesterday.

“Following a long move down a hill, the vehicle’s brakes apparently overheated and failed,” said military spokesman Colonel Tom Collins. “The driver, very experienced in the operation of this type of vehicle, a heavy cargo truck, applied the primary and emergency brakes and took evasive action to avoid hitting pedestrians.”

This led to the truck hitting several unoccupied parked cars in an effort to slow down, but it wasn’t enough and the truck hit occupied vehicles at a junction, he said.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the families of those killed and injured in this unfortunate traffic accident,” Col Collins said.

The military will compensate the victims or their families, the spokesman said.

A full investigation of the incident is still under way, he added.

The crash sparked the worst riots across Kabul since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, killing up to 11 people and injuring more than 100.

In the city, security forces in tanks and on foot took up positions to prevent a repeat of Monday’s deadly anti-foreigner riots — the most widespread violence in the city since the fall of the Taliban in 2001.

The city of four million was calm as shops reopened and residents commuted to work. Many expressed dismay as they surveyed the damage from the riots.

“Who is ruining our city? We are very, very sad,” said shopkeeper Zalmai Mohammed, 25, near a hotel that had its windows smashed and shops that had been looted.

“The government should shoot the rioters. This is so sad. Everything was burning.”

Patience with the 23,000 US soldiers and other foreign troops in Afghanistan is also fraying over recent deaths of civilians, including at least 16 people killed by an air strike targeting Taliban fighters in a southern village last week.

Meanwhile, charity ActionAid condemned the killing in Afghanistan of three women members of staff of the international anti-poverty agency.

The three women, all from Afghanistan, were shot while working in the Sheberghan province, 300 miles from the capital Kabul.

Their driver, employed by a local car hire firm, was also killed. The four were shot by unidentified gunmen while they were travelling to village communities to undertake local social project work with the National Solidarity Programme.

“It is appalling that gunmen ambushed and shot dead three women committed to their country. ActionAid is devastated by this loss. Our deepest sympathy goes out to their family and friends,” said Richard Miller, director of ActionAid UK.