At least 80 people are dead and more than 350 injured
after a huge explosion hit the Afghanistan capital, Kabul, on Wednesday (31
May).
The explosion took place at the peak of Kabul's rush hour
when roads are packed with worktime commuters, at about 8.25am local time
(3.55am GMT). The blast appeared to have gone off close to a busy intersection
in the Wazir Akbar Khan district — a highly secure area of the capital that is
home to many embassies, diplomatic missions, the Presidential Palace and the
Foreign Ministry.
A statement from the Ministry of Interior Affairs says it
"condemns in the strongest terms the terrorist attack" that killed so
many, including women and children. The ministry did not have details on the
possible target of the attack.
Early media reports suggest the explosion was caused by a
suicide car bomb in central Zanbaq Square. The explosives were reportedly
placed in a water tanker. Images shared on social media show a huge plume of
black smoke rising from the area.
"It was a car bomb near the
German embassy, but there are several other important compounds and offices
near there too. It is hard to say what the exact target is," Basir
Mujahid, a spokesman for Kabul police, told Reuters.
"We don't know at this
moment what was the target of the attack, but most of the casualties are
civilians," he said.
The powerful blast is reported to
have shattered windows of several buildings and blew doors off their hinges hundreds
of metres away from the scene.
Najib Danish, deputy spokesman
for the Interior Ministry, said that more than 30 vehicles were either
destroyed or damaged in the explosion.
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