64 persons dead, 300 injured in Kabul bomb explosion

Affected residents receiving treatment in an hospital.

No fewer than 64 people have been confirmed dead in a bomb explosion that rocked a highly secure diplomatic area of Kabul early this morning. Further report states that more than 300 people have been severely injured from the blast.The attack is the deadliest in the Afghan capital since an Isis suicide bomber killed nearly 100 people at a protest last summer.

The huge blast occurred close to the German embassy in the Wazir Akbar Khan area of the capital, sending clouds of black smoke strengthening into the sky near the presidential palace and foreign embassies.

It took place at the peak of Kabul’s rush-hour when the streets were packed with commuters and just days into the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Witnesses described dozens of cars choking the roads as wounded survivors and panicked school children sought safety, with people struggling to get through security checkpoints to search for loved ones.

No group has claimed responsibility but both the Taliban and Isis have staged large-scale attacks in the city. The Afghan president, Ashraf Ghani, condemned the attack. “The terrorists, even in the holy month of Ramadan, the month of goodness, blessing and prayer, are not stopping the killing of our innocent people,” he said in a statement.

Basir Mujahid, a spokesman for Kabul police, said the bomb had struck close to the fortified entrance to the German embassy.

“It was a car bomb near the German embassy, but there are several other important compounds and offices near there too. It is hard to say what the exact target is,” Mujahid said.