Several dead after fuel tankers catch fire in Kabul

A massive fire ripped through several fuel tankers in northern Kabul, leaving at least seven people dead and 14 others injured, Interior Ministry spokesperson Tariq Arian said on Sunday.

It wasn't immediately known if the fire was intentional or not, coming as the formal withdrawal of the remaining US and NATO troops in Afghanistan gets underway.

The injured were all taken to hospitals, though some have already been discharged, Arian added.

As smoke engulfed the Afghan capital, many residents lost power from the incident as much of the city was plunged into darkness.

It appeared that one fuel tanker caught fire before the blaze spread to others parked nearby, according to Arian.

"We are working to find out the cause of the fire," Arian said. "At this stage, we can only say that the spark started from a fuel tanker and spread to others."

All 2,500-3,500 US soldiers and some 7,000 NATO allied forces will have left Afghanistan by September 11 — exactly 20 years after the terrorist attacks in the United States that sparked the military deployment.

In mid-February, a massive fire occurred on the border between Afghanistan and Iran. Hundreds of trucks and containers were ablaze after a fuel truck exploded. At least 17 people were wounded in the incident.