UPDATE: 18:00

73 people are dead and scores have been left injured after a fuel tanker and two buses collided on a major highway in Afghanistan this morning.

The crash happened on the main highway linking the capital, Kabul, to the southern city of Kandahar. Records show that the buses were carrying a total of 125 passengers at the time.

It was initially reported that 52 people had died in the atrocity but the death toll has since increased to 73 with one ministry spokesperson claiming that 'most of them are completely burned.'

The buses were said to be travelling one behind the other on the highway when the accident took place, according to a top official at the provincial traffic department. Another source said he believes the crash was caused by reckless driving.

Road accidents are common in Afghanistan, where roads are often in poor condition and traffic laws are rarely enforced. Afghanistan is said to have some of the world’s most dangerous roads, with traffic regulations rarely being enforced.

That road has since been cleared and re-opened.