At least 19 people have been killed and another 30 injured in various ways after a fuel truck exploded in a tunnel in Afghanistan’s Salang Pass, according to the latest report from the Taliban authorities.
The pass is the main route through the country’s northern mountains, connecting the capital, Kabul, with Parwan province and into Pakistan, thanks in part to this 2.5-kilometer-long Soviet-era tunnel.
The explosion occurred at around 8.30 p.m. as a result of the explosion of a gasoline truck driving through the tunnel, local official sources told the Hasht e Subh channel. The current toll has been confirmed by local authorities to the same media.
According to the spokesman of the Taliban Ministry of Infrastructures, Hamidullah Musba, the fire is already under control but the number of victims could increase in the last hours due to the seriousness of some of the wounded.
In addition, the detonation has caused the tunnel to be completely saturated with toxic gases that are making it impossible to determine exactly how many people could remain inside the tunnel.
The Taliban Ministry of Defense has confirmed the dispatch of additional helicopters and equipment to assist in the rescue efforts.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
