Children among 16 killed in car crash in southern Yemen

News | Transport Children among 16 killed in car crash in southern Yemen A bus collided with a truck in Yemen’s second-deadliest traffic accident in recent years, and the worst so far in 2026. Listen to this article | 2 mins By Zaid Sabah , Anadolu and Reuters Published On 25 Feb 2026 25 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media Share Save At least 16 people, including eight women and children, have been killed in a collision between a bus and a truck in southern Yemen, according to local authorities. The accident occurred in the Lahmar area of the Al-Mahfad district, on a key transit route linking the provinces of Abyan and Shabwa, authorities said on Tuesday. Recommended Stories list of 4 items list 1 of 4 Houthi threats and US-Iran conflict escalate Ramadan fears in Yemen list 2 of 4 One killed, 11 injured in Yemen after security forces disperse STC storming list 3 of 4 Is southern Yemen’s next phase being decided on the ground? list 4 of 4 Yemen’s ‘Mogadishu’: Somali refugees face poverty, instability in Aden end of list The impact of the two vehicles led to a catastrophic fire that engulfed the small bus, leaving no survivors among the passengers, Turkiye’s Anadolu news agency reported. The Reuters news agency, citing a statement issued by security officials, said the accident was the result of “improper overtaking” on a dangerous bend in the road, while the bus’s use of gas as a fuel “caused an immediate fire that resulted in everyone inside being burned”. Tuesday’s crash was the second-deadliest traffic accident in Yemen in recent years, and the worst so far in 2026. Last year, 17 people were killed in a horrific crash on a dangerous mountain road in the Abyan province. Local observers have pointed to several contributing factors for the high death toll in road accidents, including Yemen’s rugged terrain that creates naturally hazardous conditions, as well as neglected road infrastructure. More than a decade of ongoing conflict between government forces an...