Kabul blast: Explosion at hotel kills 7, injures many

At least seven people died and a dozen were injured in a blast at a hotel in downtown Kabul on Monday (January 19). According to officials, the reason behind the blast is yet to be ascertained.

Italian NGO, EMERGENCY, said its surgical centre in Kabul had received 20 people from the blast, including seven who were already dead when they arrived. It noted the number of casualties was “still provisional”.

Those injured included four women and a child, the organisation's Country Director in Afghanistan, Dejan Panic, said.

“The wounded, some of whom are being assessed for surgery, have suffered lacerations and bruises,” he added.

Blast in Shahr-e-Naw district

Afghan police spokesman Khalid Zadran said the explosion struck at a hotel in the Shahr-e-Naw district, causing a number of casualties.

Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani said that the cause of the blast was being investigated. Neither had details on the number of casualties.

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"According to preliminary reports, a number of people were killed and injured," Qani told Reuters.

Footage aired by local television station Tolo News and filmed through a car windscreen showed people in a street with smoke and dust billowing behind them.

Nobody has taken responsibility

According to Kabul police spokesperson Khalid Zadran, the blast targeted a hotel in the commercial Shahr-e-Naw neighbourhood that includes large office buildings, shopping complexes and embassies, which is considered one of the safest areas in Kabul.

"Investigation teams have begun their research into the nature of the explosion, and its details will be shared with the media later," he added.

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No group has taken responsibility for the blast so far. After seizing power in Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban said that it would restore security. However, such attacks continued, and many of them are claimed by the local arm of the militant Islamic State.

An AFP journalist at the scene reported that firefighters were clearing debris from the site as an ambulance remained parked nearby, with police personnel cordoning off the area.

Two Chinese nationals injured

China’s state news agency Xinhua said two Chinese nationals were seriously injured in the incident, citing an employee of the restaurant where the blast occurred.

According to the same report, an Afghan security guard was killed, and the restaurant sustained extensive damage.

The area is typically busy, with flower vendors operating along the street, and is home to several restaurants as well as a hospital.

(With agency inputs)