Several people were killed in a blast in Afghanistan’s capital city, Kabul‘s Shahr-e-Naw area, the Taliban interior ministry said on Monday.
Blast in Kabul
“According to preliminary reports, a number of people were killed and injured,” Interior Ministry spokesperson Abdul Mateen Qani said, further adding that details would be released later, reports Reuters.
The Shahr-e-Naw area is home to foreigners. Additionally, it is considered one of the most secure areas in the capital of Afghanistan, Kabul.
“So far, we have received 20 people at our hospital,” Dejan Panic, humanitarian group EMERGENCY’s Country Director in Afghanistan, said in a statement, Reuters reported.
“Among the wounded are four women and a child … Unfortunately, seven people were already dead on arrival.” There was no immediate word on the cause of the explosion. Authorities said they were investigating.
Chinese restaurant
The powerful explosion occurred at a Chinese restaurant located in the Shahr-e-Naw area of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, reports say.
The restaurant was located in Kabul’s commercial Shahr-e-Naw area, which houses offices, shopping centres and several embassies, police spokesperson Khalid Zadran said.
‘The Chinese noodle restaurant was jointly run by a Chinese Muslim, Abdul Majid, his wife, and an Afghan partner, Abdul Jabbar Mahmood, and served the Chinese Muslim community, according to reports.
One Chinese national, identified as Ayub, and six Afghans were killed in the blast, which occurred near the kitchen, while several others were injured, Zadran added,’ according to Reuters report.
According to local sources, the blast was so intense that it was heard from a considerable distance.
It spread fear and panic in the surrounding areas as well.
According to Chinese media reports, one Afghan security guard was killed, and two Chinese nationals were injured in the blast.
Spokespersons for the Taliban’s Ministry of Interior and the Kabul police confirmed the explosion.
The blast targeted a hotel in the commercial Shahr-e-Naw neighbourhood, which includes large office buildings, shopping complexes, and embassies, Kabul police spokesperson Khalid Zadran said.
According to the Global Times, the injured were taken to the hospital after the explosion struck the restaurant.
Before this, they stated that casualties had occurred; however, they did not provide details regarding the number of those killed or injured.
