KABUL — At least 36 passengers, including women and children, were killed when their bus collided with a fuel tanker in southern Zabul province on Sunday, officials said.

Gul Islam Seyal, spokesman for the provincial governor in Zabul, said more than 25 others were seriously wounded, with some in critical condition.

The collision took place in Shar-e Safa district, on the main highway linking the capital, Kabul, to the southern city of Kandahar. The bus was carrying more than 60 people, according to news reports.

Seyal blamed both drivers for being reckless.

The driver of the truck and a passenger in the truck died immediately, officials said. Authorities transferred critically-injured patients to neighboring Kandahar province.

In May, 73 people were killed on the same highway in Ghazni province in a collision involving two buses and a fuel tanker. All three vehicles burst into flames after the collision.

At least 30 people died in a similar accident in Kandahar province in April 2013.

Highway accidents are common in Afghanistan because road conditions are generally poor and traffic rules are rarely enforced.

In addition, the Kabul-Kandahar road is prone to militant activity and some drivers increase speed to avoid involvement. Taliban militants have been making advances in the country, in part because of political gridlock.

ASSOCIATED PRESS