The death toll from the explosion of a fuel-laden truck inside a tunnel in northern Afghanistan has risen to more than 30, the Taliban confirmed Monday, stressing that the figures «are not final».
«Our teams have transferred 37 wounded to medical centers and 31 martyrs have been evacuated from the area of the incident in Salang,» said Afghan Health Ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman Amerjail in a message posted on his account on the social network Twitter.
«It should be noted that these figures are not final, as these will be published once all the information has been compiled,» he said. The new toll nearly doubles the previous casualty figure, after authorities on Sunday pointed to 19 confirmed fatalities.
The explosion occurred at around 8.30 p.m. (local time) as a result of the explosion of a gasoline truck traveling through the tunnel. The Salang 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.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
