Kabul blast: Several foreign embassy workers among injured

KABUL (Pajhwok): Some US and German embassy personnel have been wounded in Thursday’s devastating bombing that also caused damages to the buildings of German, French and Bulgarian embassies in capital Kabul’s diplomatic enclave.

Nearly a dozen US citizens were injured in the massive explosion, the US State Department has said.

“Eleven US citizen contract personnel were injured in the attack in Kabul,” a State Department official said. “None of their injuries appear to be life-threatening.”

Two citizens of Kazakhstan were also injured in the terror attack. The Kazakh nationals were in a hotel about 500 meters [1,640 feet] from the site of the explosion. The blast also broke windows in the Kazakh embassy, but the staff members were safe.

Indian Embassy officials told Pajhwok Afghan News that the embassy building had suffered some breakages and few window glasses were broken. However, no official of the embassy was injured in the attack, the embassy said.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel announced that embassy workers were among hundreds of people injured, and that an Afghan security worker who was guarding the grounds was also killed. Gabriel further confirmed that "all staff are now safe".

A French minister also confirmed earlier that both German and French embassies had been impacted by the bomb that ripped through Kabul's strongly fortified diplomatic quarter on Wednesday morning.

The Bulgarian foreign ministry said no personnel of the embassy have been injured but the building suffered damages.

A car bomb explosion was suspected, but there was no date to point at a direct attack against the Bulgarian embassy, the ministry said.

The Chinese Embassy said the premises of the Chinese Embassy sustained some damage, but members of the staff were safe and sound.

“Up till now, we have not received any report of Chinese institutions affected or Chinese citizens in Afghanistan killed or injured,” the embassy said in a statement.

It said China was assessing the situation and would take measures to enhance safety and security of Chinese institutions and personnel in Afghanistan.

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