The survivors of the deadly bombing in the eastern province of Logar on Sunday said the blast was huge and that it damaged many houses nearby. They said it happened when everyone was busy having their dinner.
The blast that targeted a guest house killed at least 26 people and wounded over 110 others. The government confirmed 21 dead and 91 wounded in the explosion.
Dozens of people were trapped under the rubble as a building collapsed due to the blast. The rescue mission continued throughout the night.
A toddler and some women are among those wounded in the bombing.
“The casualty is too high. Many shops and houses have been damaged, people were wounded due to broken glasses following the blast,” said Abdul Rahman, an eyewitness.
“Many of those martyred were the students who had gathered for the university entrance exam,” said Ehsanullah, an eyewitness.
Dozens of the wounded were brought to Kabul for treatment.
“What they will respond to God on the day of judgment. Those who are sitting in Qatar and those in the peace council. Do you know about the miseries of the people,” said Dr. Malang, a relative of a victim.
“Have mercy on the people for the sake of God. 21 dead bodies were lying here,” said Ainuddin, a relative of a victim.
“Here (Logar) is the Kabul gate. The Taliban’s pressure here is very high as it is close to the Durand Line,” Logar governor Abdul Qayyum Rahimi said.
Joining Afghans across the nation, a number of foreign envoys have also strongly condemned Friday’s truck bombing in Logar province that killed over 26 people, most of whom were students.
US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, NATO’s civilian ambassador, as well as UK, France and Turkey embassies, condemned the attack as senseless acts of violence.
“I condemn in the strongest terms the senseless attack in Logar yesterday. Innocent Afghan civilians are continuing to pay the price for these appalling acts of violence. The cycle of violence has to be broken. All parties must work to achieve peace at the negotiating table,” said Stefano Pontecorvo, NATO’s envoy to Afghanistan.
“A car bomb there took the lives of families sitting for iftar and students preparing for university exams. We condemn in the strongest terms this terrible tragedy and its terrorist perpetrators,” US envoy Khalilzad said.
“This senseless violence against civilians must stop,” the UK embassy in Kabul said.
This comes at a time that foreign forces on Saturday officially started withdrawing from Afghanistan.
But violence continues to take lives from the Afghans. Acting Minister of Interior Hayatullah Hayat said that 25 civilians were killed and 56 more wounded in other security incidents across the country in the last 24 hours.