Afghanistan: Oil tanker explodes in a tunnel in Kabul, 19 killed including women and children

Kabul. At least 19 people have been killed and 32 injured in an oil tanker explosion in a tunnel in the capital Kabul in Afghanistan. The Salang tunnel is an important route connecting the northern part of the country with the south. It was built in the 1960s to help attack the Soviet Union.

At least 19 people were killed in the explosion in the tunnel on Saturday night, according to Sayed Himatullah Shamim, a spokesman for Parwan province. Women and children are also among the dead. He said victims were trapped under the debris and the number of casualties could increase. It is not clear at the moment what was the reason for the incident. The blast took place at around 8.30 pm.

According to local official Dr Abdullah Afghan, Parwan’s health department has so far received 14 bodies and 24 injured people. He said five of the dead were women and two children, while the rest were men with severe burns and their identities could not be ascertained. Public Works Ministry spokesman Maulvi Hamidullah Misbah said on Sunday that the fire has been doused and teams are still working to clear the tunnel.