Deadly fuel tanker fire plunges Kabul into darkness
At least seven people were killed and 14 were injured in a fire on the outskirts of Kabul after fuel tankers exploded, Afghan officials said.
Afghanistan’s capital was plunged into darkness, except for the towering orange flames that were visible for several kilometres across the city on Sunday.
The blaze at the northern gateway to Kabul is thought to have started as fuel tankers and goods lorries waited to be permitted entry to the city.
Firefighters battled the flames for nearly 12 hours before the fire was brought under control.
“It started at about 9pm and a major fire control operation was conducted until 2am, but it was close to morning when the fire was fully shut down,” Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian told The National.
People living in a nearby village heard a series of explosions before the flames reached their homes.
“We heard a big blast at about 8.30pm and, from then onward, we kept hearing consecutive blasts getting closer,” Mohammad Arif, a 34-yearold farmer from Kabul’s Shakardara district, told The National. “By 9pm, the fire had reached our village.
“Many of my relatives are severely injured.
“My daughter is also recovering from minor burns, but with so many serious injuries in our village, I haven’t even had the chance to go check on her. We lost pretty much everything.
“We don’t even have a place to sleep tonight. I don’t know where to go.”
Vital local infrastructure was also damaged.
“Two major power lines in Qala-e-Murad Beg that bring imported electricity into Kabul were damaged as a result of the fires in the fuel tankers last night,” Wahid Tawhidi, spokesman for state utility Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat, told The National.
“Our technical staff have worked relentlessly all night to fix the power lines and re-establish electricity supply to the affected provinces.”
Although the full extent of the damage has not been assessed, witnesses said that up to 100 fuel tankers may have been caught fire.
“Last night, I saw the bodies of more than 10 tanker drivers, but the government is insisting that the total death toll is far less,” said Mr Arif, walking amid the ruins of his home and farms.
“They’re lying. If we want exact figures, I will take you to the bodies.
“This is not the first such incident, and they never learn,” he said, referring to two similar fuel tanker explosions this year.
Large fires broke out at the Islam Qala border crossing in western Afghanistan in February and at a fuel depot in Farah province last month.
The Afghan government said neither of the incidents were caused by terrorist attacks or sabotage.
Local people are questioning the government’s ability to manage crucial infrastructure safely.
“Who is holding them accountable for all these repeated fires, the damage and destruction?” Mr Arif said. “They haven’t even offered us any support or help. At the end of the day, poor people like us have to pay the price for the government’s mistakes and inefficiency.”
People in a nearby village heard several explosions before the flames reached their homes