At least seven people were killed and 13 others wounded in Monday afternoon’s explosion in downtown Kabul’s Shahr-e-Naw area, the international medical charity EMERGENCY said in a statement.
EMERGENCY said 20 people were received at its Surgical Centre in Kabul following the blast, which occurred near the hospital. Seven of them were dead on arrival, it said, adding that the figures were provisional.
The blast happened in an area which is close to the EMERGENCY Hospital.
“So far, we have received twenty people at our hospital,” said Dejan Panic, EMERGENCY’s country director in Afghanistan. “Among the wounded are four women and a child. Some of the injured are being assessed for surgery, suffering from lacerations and bruises. Unfortunately, seven people were already dead on arrival.”
Taliban police spokesman Khalid Zadran confirmed the explosion, saying the blast caused casualties.
He said investigation teams were examining the nature of the explosion and that further details would be shared once the inquiry was completed.
Three sources told Amu TV that Chinese nationals were the apparent target of the blast, though details remain unclear. The sources said several Chinese citizens and Afghan nationals were among those taken to hospital.
Footage shared on social media showed people running from the scene, smoke rising in the area and one person lying on the ground.
Witnesses said nearby shops were damaged in the explosion. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
