At least 15 killed in Afghan stampede for visas

At least 15 people were killed in a stampede among thousands of Afghans gathered near Pakistan's consulate on Wednesday as jostling broke out between people applying for visas, officials in the eastern city of Jalalabad said. Emer McCarthy reports.

An estimated 3,000 Afghans had congregated on the open ground which is usually used for sports and public gatherings.

Officials told Reuters that they were waiting to collect tokens needed to apply for a visa.

Eleven of the 15 victims were women, and several senior citizens were among more than a dozen injured- including Aladdin Khan.

''When the jostling broke out, weaker people fell to the ground and stronger people dragged themselves out of the crowd. The women were also there and were being stamped during the crowd. Some people criticize us for getting the visa, but I want to go to Pakistan because of my illness."

Tens of thousands of Afghans travel every year to neighboring Pakistan to secure medical treatment, education and jobs.

Pakistan also hosts about 3 million Afghan refugees and economic migrants. The Pakistan embassy in Kabul issued a statement expressing "deep grief and sadness".