80 killed, 350 wounded in Afghanistan bomb blast

A bomb explosion in the centre of Kabul, the Afghanistan capital, on Wednesday, killed at least 80 people and wounded about 350, health officials said. 

Most of the victims are reportedly Afghan civilians.

The explosion, “one of the deadliest in Kabul,” occurred close to the fortified entrance to the German embassy on a busy road, Basir Mujahid, Kabul police spokesperson, told Reuters.

“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.

The blast was said to be “unusually powerful,” with some reports saying it was caused by explosives concealed in a water tanker.

“It felt like an earthquake,” said 21-year-old Mohammad Hassan, while describing the moment the blast struck the bank where he was working.

The French and Chinese embassies were reportedly among those damaged, although “there were no immediate signs of injuries among diplomats”.

A wounded victim, Nabib Ahmad, said, “I couldn’t think clearly, there was a mess everywhere”.

Narendra Modi, Indian prime minister, has condemned the blast.

“India stands with Afghanistan in fighting all types of terrorism. Forces supporting terrorism need to be defeated,” he said in a tweet.

The Afghan Taliban has denied responsibility for the attack.

Zabihullah Mujahid, Taliban spokesperson, said in a statement that the movement’s fighters had no involvement in the incident.

Both the Taliban and Islamic State have carried out high-profile attacks in Kabul in recent months.