Four days after a massive fire at the Herat customs office, Taliban officials have yet to disclose any details regarding the extent of the damage. The blaze, which lasted more than three hours, reportedly destroyed 50 vehicles carrying commercial goods.
The fire broke out around 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, coinciding with a holiday marking the third anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power, when officials were not present at the customs office. Eyewitnesses described the vehicles as heavily loaded, resulting in significant financial losses.
“The vehicles were heavily loaded, and it has caused significant losses to the people. Millions of dollars in damages have been inflicted,” said Raz Mohammad, a driver who witnessed the aftermath.
Wali Khan, another driver, recounted, “The fire broke out at 2:00 p.m. I was coming from the Jebrael route towards the customs, and we had a patient with us. The Taliban had closed all the roads. People say that 18 vehicles burned in the fire, but even this morning, smoke was still rising from inside the customs.”
Despite initial announcements that a press conference would be held on Thursday to address the incident, the Taliban has refrained from providing any further information.
Informed sources confirmed that 50 vehicles were completely destroyed, and drivers estimated that millions of dollars in damages were incurred by traders. “A warehouse caught fire, and a lot of products were burned, causing significant losses to the people,” said Tariq Khan, another eyewitness.
This fire marks the most significant incident of its kind at Herat’s customs office in the past decade.
