A suicide bomb was detonated near the German Embassy in Kabul during rush hour Wednesday morning, killing 80 people close to a highly secure diplomatic area, Afghan officials said.
Another 300 people were injured, the health ministry said.
Latest developments
- Taliban has denied responsibility for the blast.
- The BBC has confirmed the death of a BBC Afghan driver
- German embassy officials were injured in the blast, the German Foreign Minister said.
- Some Pakistani Embassy diplomats and staff suffered minor injuries, the Pakistani Prime Minister's office said.
'Busy shopping street'
The bomb, concealed in a water delivery truck, detonated at 8:22 a.m. (local time) outside the offices of a major local cellphone company and a popular TV station. It hit about 400 yards from the German Embassy in one of the busiest parts of town, near big supermarkets and shops.
The Taliban denied responsibility for the attack in a statement. No group has yet claimed it.
Wall Street Journal reporter Jessica Donati, in Kabul said the explosion happened close to western embassies, government institutions and the residences of high-ranking officials and their families. It's most fortified part of the city, which can only be reached by passing through several checkpoints, she added.
The BBC has confirmed that BBC Afghan driver Mohammed Nazir, who had worked with the broadcaster for four years and had a young family, died in the blast. Four BBC journalists were also injured, but their injuries are not thought to be life threatening, according to a BBC World Service statement.
Roshan mobile company employees leave the site of the attack in Kabul on Wednesday.
German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said the attack was in the "immediate vicinity" of its embassy.
"The attack was aimed at civilians and those who are in Afghanistan to work with the people there for a better future of the country," Gabriel said. "...officials of the German embassy were also injured. In the meantime, all employees are safe."
The Afghan presidential palace and the Indian Embassy are also near the blast site.
"By God's grace, Indian Embassy staff are safe in the massive Kabul blast," India's foreign minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted.
A wounded Afghan man receives help at the site of the attack in Kabul.
The French embassy was damaged in the explosion, Marielle de Sarnez, French minister for European Affairs, told Europe 1 radio. Initial reports do not indicate that French nationals are among the dead, she said, adding that she is "extremely cautious" until that has been confirmed.
Separately, the US Embassy said it did "not appear to have been the target of the blast," a spokesperson said.
Blast coincides with Ramadan
The blast hit when everyone was going to work, and occurred within the first few days of the holy month of Ramadan, which started Friday.
"The majority of the casualties were Afghan civilians who were going to work when the bomb exploded," Donati said. "It was rush hour, so the entrances to this area are flooded with people who are going to work at the embassies and the military base -- and that's why there's such a high death toll."
The city's hospitals will struggle to cope with the huge influx of injured people, she said.
Hundreds line up to donate blood
Layma Tabibi, an Afghani-American who works at a local consulting firm, told CNN she heard a loud rumble as she was getting ready for work, then saw the big plume of smoke. A lot of the casualties appeared to be from the Roshan telecommunications company, she said.
"Afghans. It's always Afghans," she said, when asked who suffered in such attacks. "It's always Afghans that are harmed and get killed rather than who the attacker wants to target."
The bombing has impacted telecommunications in the city but people are trying to help, she added.
"The people are full of hope and love. It may not always seem like that but already there are hundreds of names and people waiting in lines and waiting to be put on a waiting list to donate blood and help anyone who is in need or stranded without help."
Hameed Hakim was on his way to work in Kabul's Wazir Akbar Khan neighborhood when the explosion stopped him in his tracks.
"I was standing not more than two kilometers away from where the explosion took place," Hakim said. "It was so crazy. The sound was very strong and the ground shook. Everyone around me was shocked. All of the buildings and offices were broken, the windows were blown out.
"It was rush hour, most of the people were going to their offices or going to the shops. There were large crowds of people going about their days."
Hakim, who works for a French non-profit Acted in central Kabul, said that when he made it to work his office was locked down, as were other offices and banks in the area.
Deteriorating security across Afghanistan
The latest attack highlights the deteriorating security situation across Afghanistan.
Earlier this month, another attack targeted foreign troops near the US Embassy in Kabul, killing eight people. ISIS claimed responsibility for that attack.
The Pentagon is considering sending additional troops to the country, US military officials told the Senate Armed Services Committee this month.
The troops could consist of special forces personnel and more conventional soldiers, and would be part of the NATO-led mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan army in its fight against militants.
There are about 8,400 US troops in Afghanistan -- the majority are involved in training and advising Afghan troops. About 2,000 US service members participate in a counterterrorism mission that targets terror groups such as al Qaeda and ISIS.
US troops have been in Afghanistan for nearly 16 years, where the government and coalition allies are battling several terror groups, including the Taliban and ISIS.
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