Blasts rock Kabul: Second blast hits same spot as first, as victims were getting help; 25 killed, 45 injured

Two blasts shook Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Monday morning. Officiaos have said 25 have been killed in the blasts and 45 injured, which happened at the same spot. The second blast claimed more lives and caused more injuries as it happened about 20 minutes after the first one. Many of those who were injured or killed were either those trying to help the injured from the first blast or journalists covering the incident.

The first explosion occurred in the Shashdarak area of Kabul, close to the headquarters of the National Directorate of Security (NDS), the primary intelligence agency of Afghanistan. The first blast killed four people and injured five.

The second blast hit the spot where the journalists who had come to cover the blast were standing. This took the toll to 21, according to the health ministry.

Global news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) confirmed that its chief photographer Shah Marai was among those killed in the second blast.

 

#UPDATE Agence France-Presse's chief photographer in Kabul, Shah Marai, has been killed.
He died in a blast that was targeting a group of journalists who had rushed to the scene of a suicide attack in the Afghan capital pic.twitter.com/rOa4rg24x9 — AFP news agency (@AFP) April 30, 2018

 

AFP also reported that the first blast was a suicide attack where the assailant was on a motorcycle.

There has not been any claim of responsibility from either the Taliban or the Islamic State terror groups.