The precise target of the attack, believed to be a car bomb, was not immediately clear, with many embassies and government buildings located in the same area. TOLOnews reported the exact address of blast site as the 14th Street of the Wazir Akbar Khan neighborhood.
The blast struck at around 8:30am local time Wednesday.
Pajhwok Afghan News reports that “dozens” of people were killed in the blast and more than 100 injured. Earlier, the agency cited the Health Ministry as saying that at least 60 people were hospitalized.
Update: Dozens killed and more than 100 wounded in #KabulBalst#AFG
Photos from Social Media pic.twitter.com/xa3kev3iJ9— Pajhwok Afghan News (@pajhwok) May 31, 2017
Basir Mujahid, a spokesman for Kabul police, said the explosion was caused by a car bomb.
“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, as cited by Reuters.
Eyewitnesses on social media said the blast was so strong it shattered all windows in nearby buildings. Some doors were also torn off their hinges, Reuters reported.
Photos posted on Twitter showed a thick pillar of smoke rising from the site of the explosion.
Massive explosion just shattered all the windows and glass in our bureau #Kabul
— Jessica Donati (@jessdonati) May 31, 2017
Some #bbc staff caught in explosion
— Karim Haidari (@FkHaidari) May 31, 2017
DETAILS TO FOLLOW
Massive explosion near gate the German Embassy in #Kabul. Damage caused to properties of Indian Embassy in #Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com/SLoQNim3Y1
— Josh Caplan (@joshdcaplan) May 31, 2017
Explosion rocked Kabul. pic.twitter.com/qJO5ZUduHa
— Karim Haidari (@FkHaidari) May 31, 2017
Damages from Kabul blast, the exact location is still not clear, source it was in WAK, Kabul PD10#AFGpic.twitter.com/sHIxDeRZto
— Pajhwok Afghan News (@pajhwok) May 31, 2017
#BreakingNews – Kabul rocked by a huge explosion. A FB user shared these pics of his room. #KabulBlast#Afghanistanpic.twitter.com/QuVjIwxPHm
— Bashir Ahmad Gwakh (@bashirgwakh) May 31, 2017
