Blast in Afghan capital kills at least seven

KABUL: A blast in central Kabul on Monday killed at least seven people and injured more than a dozen others, an NGO that runs a hospital in the Afghan capital said.

An AFP journalist saw emergency services at the scene following the explosion on a street known for its flower sellers in the Shahr-e-Naw area.

Italian NGO EMERGENCY said its hospital nearby had received “seven people dead on arrival”, with 13 others admitted to the surgical department.

“Among the wounded are four women and a child,” Dejan Panic, the NGO’s country director, said in a statement.

READ MORE: Suicide bomber kills five outside bank in Afghanistan: police

The owner of a flower shop, requesting anonymity for security reasons, said the blast happened at around 3:30 pm (1100 GMT) at the other end of the street from his business.

He told AFP he heard the “strong sound” of a blast in the crowded area.

“It was an emergency situation. Everybody feared for his own life,” he said.

“I could see at least five wounded.”

Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran said the explosion happened “in a hotel”, without detailing the cause.

There are also multiple restaurants in the area, which was surrounded by police officers.

The AFP journalist saw a police vehicle and a truck outside a restaurant, and a car with its windows shattered.

Two Chinese citizens were seriously wounded in the explosion, China’s state news agency Xinhua reported, citing a restaurant employee.

An Afghan security guard was killed and the restaurant was severely damaged, Xinhua said.