2022 Salang Tunnel fire

The Salang Tunnel was built in the 1960s 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 1980.[3]

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 cars 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 ministry of public works, stated earlier on Sunday that the fire had been put out and that rescue workers were still attempting to clear the tunnel.[10]

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]

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]