The death toll has risen to 50 with more than 100 others critically injured from a fuel tanker that exploded at a gas station in western Afghanistan on Sunday, according to doctors in the western province of Herat.
Since the explosion on Sunday afternoon, another 15 people have died in hospital due to a lack of proper health facilities, said Mohammad Sarwar, a doctor in Herat.
Thirty-one people were killed instantly in Sunday’s blast, while four others lost their lives while being transferred to a hospital in Herat province.
”Most of the injured have more than 50% burns and it will be difficult to save them,” he said.
”Unfortunatly, more injured people will die in the coming hours and days,” he added.
The number of killed and injured could be more, because some Kochi (nomads) did not bring their injured people to the hospital, Sarawar said.
”According to our information more than 160 people have either been killed or injured in the incident. Almost all of the injured people are at risk of dying,” Sarwar said, adding that men, women and children were among the victims.
Sayed Nasir Ahmad, intelligence chief for the western province of Herat, said by telephone that the blast took place on Sunday afternoon in Shindand’s bazaar, about 560km west of the capital, Kabul.
”First a tanker of gas went off and then caused a nearby gas station to explode,” said Ahmad.
The cause of the blast is still unclear but it is believed to have been an accident, he said.
According to another official in Herat who asked not to be identified, the blast was caused by a small fire.
”For sure, it was not a terrorist act,” he said.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai said in a statement he was ”deeply saddened” by the news of the accident. — Sapa-DPA