Brake failure caused crash that sparked Kabul riot
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 today.
“Following a long move down a hill, the vehicle’s brakes apparently overheated and failed,” said military spokesman Col. 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,” 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.
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