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Kabul blast: Scenes of carnage in Afghan capital

Deadly explosion lays buildings to waste, damages dozens of cars and shatters windows hundreds of metres away.

Kabul Blast
Wednesday's attack killed at least 80 people and wounded hundreds. It is one of the biggest to have hit Kabul. [Jawad Jalali/EPA]
Published On 31 May 2017

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A powerful truck bomb went off on Wednesday in the centre of the Afghan capital, Kabul, killing at least 80 people and wounding hundreds of others.

The explosion laid buildings to waste, damaged dozens of cars and shattered windows hundreds of metres away.

READ MORE: Social media reacts to Kabul bomb blast

At the Wazir Akhbar Khan hospital a few blocks away, there were scenes of chaos as ambulances brought in wounded and frantic relatives scanned casualty lists and questioned hospital staff for news.

Several world leaders condemned the attack, which came just two days into the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Kabul Blast
Afghan women mourn outside a hospital after the blast in Kabul. [Mohammad Ismail/Reuters]
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Kabul Blast
The victims appear mainly to have been Afghan civilians. There were no immediate reports of casualties among foreign embassy staff. [Mohammad Ismail/Reuters]
Kabul Blast
The morning blast, at the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, occurred close to the fortified entrance to the German embassy on a road usually choked with traffic at that time of day. [Mohammad Ismail/Reuters]
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There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. [Omar Sobhani/Reuters]
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Kabul residents said the explosion was so powerful it could be felt throughout the Afghan capital. [Hedayatullah/EPA]
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Relatives of victims listen to hospital officials after the explosion. [Mohammad Ismail/Reuters]
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Kabul Blast
Afghan policemen inspect the site of the blast. [Mohammad Ismail/Reuters]
Kabul Blast
Afghan security forces carry injured men in the back of a police truck. [Omar Sobhani/Reuters]