19 killed in fire at Salang Tunnel in Afghanistan

Baghlan: Nineteen people were killed and 32 others were injured when a fire broke out in the Salang Tunnel on the Salang Pass near Parwan province in Afghanistan, according to Khaama Press.

Khaama Press reported quoting Taliban appointed spokesperson for the Parwan province Hekmatullah Shamim that the death toll is still being calculated and the number of fatalities and injuries can go much higher than the current count. The tunnel fire was the result of an oil tanker catching fire after rolling over in the tunnel on Saturday late at night. The head of Salang Tunnel Maintenance, Hafiz Mohammad Yaqoob, said that the smoke-filled interior during the incident had made the evacuation of the victims difficult, the Khaama Press reported.

The Khaama Press reported quoting Afghanistan National Radio Television report that as of Sunday morning one more death and 20 more injured have been reported. Further, the report said that there was major damage to the roof of the Salang Tunnel.

Given the damages that have been reported regarding the incident, it is estimated that the victims included children and authorities also added that the bodies of many victims are beyond recognition.

Although the tunnel is now open for traffic as the fire was controlled and people that were trapped could be rescued, Khaama Press reported quoting Bakhtar news agency from Afghanistan that also reported the fire.
Previously, Seven people were killed, including two doctors, after a car overturned in the Afghan province of Laghman. The accident occurred in the village of Kel of Farshaghan valley, Dawlat Shah district, Laghman province, and left three people injured.

According to Laghman's spokesperson, Salamat Khan Bilal, the injured were transported to the nearest hospital, and two physicians- a male and a female died in the tragic accident.

Meanwhile, a passenger vehicle of a minibus type overturned in the Doshakh region of the Salang highway in Afghanistan and killed three people. Eight were severely wounded during the fatal accident.

The accident took place on the Salang in northern Afghanistan which passes through Parwan and Baghlan provinces. Road damage and careless driving are the main causes of traffic accidents in Afghanistan, which considerably contribute to traffic-related fatalities.