(Charikar) Nineteen people were killed and dozens more injured in the crash of a tanker truck in a high-altitude tunnel in the Salang pass in eastern Afghanistan, announcing Taliban officials on Sunday.
At least 19 people died and 32 others were injured in the incident, Hekmatullah Shamim, spokesman for the governor of Parwan province, told reporters.
According to a provincial official responsible for health issues, Abdullah Afghan Mal, “many badly burned women and children” are among the dead.
On Saturday night, “a tank truck overturned and caught fire in the Salang tunnel, which then set fire to several other vehicles”, explained Hamidullah Misbah, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Works. , adding that the balance sheet should increase.
The Salang Pass, located north of Kabul, was closed to traffic and rescue teams were airlifted to the site.
The Salang Pass, one of the highest mountain roads on the planet (3650 meters), was built by Soviet specialists in the 1950s. It includes a 2.6 kilometer long tunnel crossing the Hindu Kush, thus connecting Kabul to the north of the country.
The numerous accidents, heavy snowfalls and avalanches in winter force the authorities to regularly close the tunnel for several days.
In 2010, more than 150 people were killed in avalanches at Salang Pass.