At least 19 killed as fuel truck ignites in Afghanistan’s Salang tunnel

Kabul  — An accident in the landmark Salang alpine tunnel that connects Afghanistan's capital to its north killed at least 19 people and injured dozens, authorities said on Sunday.

Thirty-two people were injured in the accident in Salang Tunnel, located about 90km north of Kabul, according to Qari Yusuf Ahmadi, deputy spokesperson for the Taliban-run administration. At least 19 people were killed, including women and children.

Survivors remained trapped under rubble, said a spokesperson for Parwan province. It was not immediately clear what caused the incident.

Local broadcaster Tolo, citing the ministry of public works, said a fuel truck had overturned and caught fire in the tunnel on Saturday night. The blaze had been extinguished on Sunday but the tunnel was closed to traffic and casualties could rise, according to the ministry spokesperson.

“The Islamic Emirate expresses its deepest condolences to the families of the victims and ... it also calls on all relevant agencies to make more and serious efforts to prevent the recurrence of such terrible incidents,” Ahmadi said.

The 2.6km long Soviet-built tunnel is a historic engineering feat that links Kabul and Afghanistan’s north, connecting the Indian subcontinent to Central Asia through a treacherous mountain pass at 3,400m.

Reuters