New Delhi/Kabul, May 31 : At least 80 persons were killed and more than 350 were injured in a powerful blast on Wednesday that rocked Kabul’s high-security diplomatic area where the Indian embassy is located. However, all staffers at the Indian mission were said to be safe.The blast smashed windows of the buildings nearby and a huge plume of smoke could be seen spiralling over the area near the presidential palace and other foreign embassies in the Afghan capital.
Witnesses described dozens of cars choking the roads as wounded survivors and panicked schoolgirls sought safety, with men and woman struggling to get through security checkpoints to search for loved ones.
“A car bomb” exploded at 8:25 am, Najib Danish, an Interior Ministry spokesman, said.
A public health official said at least 80 persons had been killed and more than 350 injured. The victims appear mainly to have been Afghan civilians and there were no immediate reports of casualties among foreign embassy staff.
Authorities warned the toll could yet rise. “They are still bringing bodies and wounded people to hospitals,” senior Health Ministry spokesman Ismael Kawoosi said.