At least 19 individuals have been killed and 32 injured when a gas tanker exploded in a tunnel north of the Afghan capital Kabul, an area official mentioned Sunday.
The Salang Tunnel, which is round 80 miles north of Kabul, was initially constructed within the Sixties to help the Soviet invasion. It is a key hyperlink between the nation’s north and south.
A spokesman for Parwan province, Said Himatullah Shamim, mentioned Saturday night time’s tunnel explosion killed at the least 19 individuals, together with ladies and kids. He mentioned survivors stay trapped underneath rubble and that the variety of casualties might rise.
It was not instantly clear what brought on the incident, which occurred at round 8.30 p.m.
Parwan’s well being division has acquired 14 useless and 24 injured thus far, based on native official Dr. Abdullah Afghan. There are 5 ladies and two youngsters among the many useless, he mentioned, and the remainder are males who’re severely burnt and can’t be acknowledged.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Public Works, Molvi Hamidullah Misbah, mentioned earlier Sunday that the hearth was extinguished and that groups have been nonetheless working to clear the tunnel.
