Authorities in southwestern Afghanistan were searching Monday for 14 people missing in the desert after five other migrants trying to reach neighboring Iran died in the heat, police said.
The group left more than a week ago for Nimroz, one of the driest and hottest provinces in the country, where temperatures exceed 45°C.
“After his vehicle broke down in a storm and got stuck in the dust, the driver was forced to head towards residential areas in search of a solution or someone who could solve the problem, but he got lost,” said Gul Mohammad Qudrat, police spokesman for Nimroz province.
“The police found him and took him to Nimroz provincial hospital for treatment because he was exhausted from thirst and extreme heat,” Qudrat said, without detailing when the driver was found.
Five migrants who were in the vehicle were later recovered and died of thirst and exhaustion, police previously said.
“There is still no news about the fate of the other 14 (missing) people. Search operations are ongoing in the Chahar Burjak areas of Nimroz district,” Qudrat said on Monday.
People are drawn to Iran for better job opportunities and a common language, but legal avenues are limited.
A doctor at Nimroz provincial hospital said AFP that two brothers were among the five victims taken to the center by security forces.
“These cases happen every day; there are many victims because they get lost on this route,” he said, requesting anonymity for security reasons.
The latest victims came from Balkh province, hundreds of kilometers away in northern Afghanistan, the doctor said on Sunday.
Police said they were searching for the driver, who had fled the hospital.
Temperatures near the border with Iran reach dangerous levels in summer, but can also drop in winter.
At least 18 migrants froze to death while trying to reach Iran from the Afghan province of Herat in December, when temperatures hovered around -3°C.
