At least 19 people were killed and 32 others injured when a fuel tank exploded in a tunnel north of the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Saturday night, according to a local official.
Said Himatullah Shamim, a spokesman for Parwan province, said today, Sunday, that the explosion of the Salang Tunnel, which is located about 80 miles north of Kabul and is a major link between the north and south of the country, killed at least 19 people, including women and children.
He added that the survivors are still stuck under the rubble and that the number of victims is expected to rise.
It is not yet clear what caused the accident, which occurred at around 8:30 p.m. Saturday.
The health department in Parwan has received 14 dead and 24 wounded so far, according to the local official, Abdullah Afghan, who explained that among the dead were 5 women and two children, and the rest were men who were severely burned and could not be identified.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Public Works, Molvi Hamidullah Misbah, said earlier Sunday that the fire had been put out, and that teams were still working to clear the tunnel.
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