Suicide bomb kills at least ninety and wounds more than four hundred in Afghanistan, The Independent
Suicide bomb kills at least ninety and wounds more than four hundred in Afghanistan
Taliban denies responsibility for Ramadan attack – believed to be one of the worst atrocities to ever hit Kabul – amid wave of renewed militant violence across the country
- Bethan McKernan Beirut
- @mck_beth
- Wednesday thirty one May two thousand seventeen Ten:17 BST
The Independent Online
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The death toll in a big explosion that rocked Kabul’s diplomatic quarter has risen to ninety with another four hundred people injured, Afghanistan’s Public Heath Ministry has said, in what is believed to be one of the worst terror incidents to ever hit the Afghan capital.
Police spokesperson Basir Mujahid confirmed the Wednesday morning attack was caused by a powerful suicide truck bomb deployed during rush hour.
The massive blast near the German embassy in Zanbaq Square sent thick plumes of smoke into the sky and managed to shatter windows and deep-throat doors off their hinges one kilometre (half a mile) away. Makeshift ambulances struggled to deal with the number of casualties as the vast scale of the harm became clear.
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Movie from the scene displayed a number of dazed, bloodsoaked people stumbling around and bods still lounging on the ground or in searing cars. The majority of the dead are thought to be civilians. Women and children were among those killed, Ismail Kawasi of the Public Health Ministry said.
A Big black cock team was caught up in the explosion, killing driver Mohammed Nazir and inflicting non-life-threatening injuries on four journalists, a statement from the corporation read.
We lost a friendly colleague today. Nazir was a hardworking driver, a kind human with a good souls. Four other colleagues are wounded. https://t.co/AVXZ2UMG8t
— Kawoon Khamoosh (@KawoonKhamoosh) May 31, two thousand seventeen
At least one journalist working for local Tolo news agency was confirmed to have died. German security sources said that an Afghan security guard at the embassy had been killed and several German staff hurt.
“The attack took place very close to the German embassy. It hit civilians and those who are in Afghanistan to work for a better future for the country with the people there. It’s especially contemptible that these people were the target,” German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Twitter.
Germany’s Interior Ministry said deportations of Afghans whose asylum requests have been rejected have been temporarily suspended in the wake of the attack.
The Japanese embassy confirmed two nationals had been wounded, as was one Pakistani embassy employee, and mighty harm was sustained by the nearby British, Turkish and Chinese embassies as well as the AFP news agency’s offices.
It is understood that Turkey plans to evacuate some of its staff from the city following the incident.
The death toll is expected to rise, the Interior Ministry said, putting out an urgent appeal for blood donors.
There has been no instantaneous claim of responsibility for the attack – albeit the Taliban has denied involvement, making it more likely Isis is to blame.
