2022 Salang Tunnel fire

2022 Salang Tunnel fire

Interior shot of the tunnel taken in November 2013
Explosion
Date	18 December 2022
Time	20:30 AFT (UTC+04:30)
Location	Salang Tunnel, Afghanistan
Coordinates	35.3100°N 69.0425°E / 35.3100; 69.0425
Type	Fuel tanker explosion
Deaths	31
Non-fatal injuries	37

On 18 December 2022, a tanker truck exploded in the Salang Tunnel in Afghanistan, killing at least 31 people.

Background

The Salang Tunnel was built by the Soviet Union in 1964 and its 2.67 km (1.66 mi) length connects the Parwan and Baghlan provinces.[1] It is known to be one of the most dangerous tunnels in the world.[2] Due to the lack of ventilation and illumination, dust and fumes reduce visibility to only a few meters. A fire in 1982 killed at least 168 Soviet soldiers and Afghans (according to the Soviet estimate), and carbon monoxide buildup killed 16 Soviet servicemen in another incident on February 23, 1980.[3]

Disaster

On 18 December 2022, a fuel tanker exploded and caught fire in the Salang Tunnel.[4][5][6][7] The explosion occurred at around 8:30 pm and the cause of the blast is not yet known.[8] The resulting fire made it difficult to evacuate victims with flames spreading from the tanker to other vehicles in the tunnel.[9] According to Said Himatullah Shamim, a spokesman for the Parwan Province, survivors of the blast were still buried under the debris, and the number of casualties was expected to climb.[10]

Molvi Hamidullah Misbah, a spokesman for the Taliban ministry of public works, stated earlier on Sunday that the fire had been put out and rescue workers were attempting to clear the tunnel.[10]

Victims

At least 31 people were killed[11] and over 30 others injured by the explosion, with numbers expected to rise.[1] According to Dr. Abdullah Afghan, a local representative of the Parwan health department, the victims included two children and ten females. Some of the casualties were so badly burned that it was impossible to identify them.[10]

Response

A deputy spokesperson for the Taliban government, Qari Yusuf Ahamdi, said "The Islamic Emirate expresses its deepest condolences to the families and the victims".[12]

References

1. Popalzai, Ehsan (2022-12-18). "Fuel tanker tunnel fire kills at least 19 in Afghanistan". CNN. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
2. "Salang Tunnel is hostile and toxic". www.dangerousroads.org. Retrieved 2022-12-18.
3. In Russian Archived 2007-12-16 at the Wayback Machine
4. Yawar, M. Y.; Greenfield, C. (19 December 2022). Chopra, T. (ed.). "Death toll from Afghanistan tunnel fire rises to 31". Reuters. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
5. "Accident in Afghanistan's Salang Tunnel kills at least 12". The Express Tribune. December 18, 2022.
6. "12 killed as oil tanker catches fire in Afghanistan's Salang pass". Brecorder. December 18, 2022.
7. "Accident in Afghanistan's Salang Tunnel kills at least 12". Reuters. 18 December 2022.
8. "Fuel tanker tunnel blast kills at least 19 in Afghanistan". spectrumnews1.com. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
9. "Death Toll from Salang Tunnel Fire Leaps to 31". The Khaama Press News Agency. 2022-12-19. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
10. "Many killed after fuel tanker explodes in tunnel in Afghanistan". the Guardian. Associated Press. December 18, 2022.
11. "Death Toll in Salang Tunnel Fire Increases to 31; Casualties May Rise". Tolo News. 19 December 2022.
12. "Afghan's Salang Tunnel explosion kills 12". South Coast Register. 2022-12-18. Retrieved 2022-12-20.