Roundup: Gas storage explosion claims 11 lives in W. Afghanistan, fire devours bazaar in north

At least 11 people, all civilians including women and children, were killed and 18 others sustained injuries as a reservoir of liquid gas caught fire in Herat city of western Herat province overnight Monday, an official said on Tuesday.

"The deadly incident took place in a reservoir of a gas company in the northern part of Herat city at 09:00 p.m. Monday after a gas truck exploded near the complex. At least 10 frequent explosions shocked the area, leaving at least 11 people including women and children dead," a local police official said.

He predicted that the casualties may go up.

Majority of the deaths were children living in the nearby slum area, where a camp of Internally Displaced People (IDP) is located, the official added.

The official, nevertheless, ruled out the involvement of terrorists in the tragic incident, saying, "lack of safety standards might have been the reason for the deadly fire that inflicted loss of lives and property damages."

According to the official, the fire raged at 09:00 p.m. local time Monday and was extinguished at 03:00 a.m. local time Tuesday following tense battle of the firefighters' team.

Damage worth millions of U.S. dollars has been inflicted to the owner of the gas storage and houses at nearby, according to locals.

Moreover, a similar incident in the northern Mazar-e-Sharif city, the capital of Balkh province on Tuesday morning had turned to ashes more than 50 shops, head of fire brigade department in the province Abdul Mohammad Zamarai said.

"A fire which raged in a wood market at 09:00 a.m. local time today had also engulfed the neighboring car tire market and turned to ashes more than 50 shops," Zamarai said. Endi