Arabic version: حادثة تصادم مميتة بين حافلة وشاحنة تودي بحياة 16 شخصًا في جنوب اليمن

At least 16 people, including eight women and children, have been killed in a collision between a bus and a truck in southern Yemen. The accident occurred in the Lahmar area of the Al-Mahfad district, on a key transit route linking the provinces of Abyan and Shabwa, according to local authorities.

According to Al Jazeera, the impact of the two vehicles led to a catastrophic fire that engulfed the small bus, leaving no survivors among the passengers. 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”.

This incident marks 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.

Experts attribute the high number of road fatalities in Yemen to several factors, including the country’s rugged terrain and the poor state of its road infrastructure, which has suffered from over a decade of conflict between government forces and Houthi rebels. The ongoing violence has left many road networks in a state of severe disrepair, contributing to the dangers faced by drivers and passengers alike.