A fuel tanker explosion in a tunnel north of the Afghan capital Kabul on Saturday night killed 31 people and injured at least 37 others.
The Salang Tunnel, about 120 kilometres north of Kabul in Parwan province, passes through the Hindu Kush mountains and connects northern Afghanistan with the capital and southern regions. The 2.5-km tunnel was built in the 1960s with the assistance of Soviet engineers.
It was not clear what caused the incident, which happened at about 8.30pm.
Provincial spokesman Said Himatullah Shamim said women and children were among the victims of the explosion.
Survivors were trapped under rubble and the number of casualties could rise, he said.
The Afghan Defence Ministry said on Twitter that it had sent helicopters with rescue and medical teams.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Public Works, Molvi Hamidullah Misbah, said the fire was extinguished and that teams were working to clear the tunnel.
“When we went inside the tunnel in the morning, we saw bodies that were not recognisable as they were severely burnt. Women, men and children were among them,” Ajab Gul told Tolo News.
Dr Abdullah Afghan, a local official, said Parwan’s health department had received 14 dead and 24 injured so far.
With reporting from agencies
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Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
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