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2021-05-03 Afghanistan
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Senators Seek Thorough Probe Into Kabul Fire That Killed 9 People
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[ToloNews] Senators on Sunday raised questions over recent fires in Kabul, Farah and Herat
...a venerable old Persian-speaking city in western Afghanistan, populated mostly by Tadjiks, which is why it's not as blood-soaked as areas controlled by Pashtuns...
province that mainly targeted fuel imports, saying there are "some hands behind such incidents" that seek to harm the country’s economy.
The Ministry of Interior Affairs said that nine people were killed and 14 more were maimed in the major fire at a tanker truck station in the Qala-e-Murad Bek area north of Kabul along the key highway that connects the capital city with northern provinces.
At least 60 vehicles, including fuel tanker trucks as well as trucks carrying food and other goods, were completely damaged in the fire that started around 9:00 pm on Saturday.
The Chamber of Trade and Investment said an investigation into the incident has begun, but added that the use of a magnetic bomb is one of the possible reasons for the massive fire.
The chamber estimates the losses of the fire at around $20 million.
| The Kabul fire was the fourth in less than three months, following a major fire at Herat customs office and two more at a border town in Farah that shares a border with Iran. |
The Kabul fire was the fourth in less than three months, following a major fire at Herat customs office and two more at a border town in Farah that shares a border with Iran.
"Such incidents need a thorough probe to determine whether it was an enemy action," said Mohammad Khan, a senator.
Senators said that one of the reasons can be a lack of attention by government officials in the proper management of the country’s border towns, ports and customs.
"A fire happened at Kabul gate. All these incidents must be probed thoroughly," Senate Speaker Fazl Hadi Moslemyar said.
Following the major fire at the border town of Islam Qala in mid-February, the government vowed to make public its findings on the incident, particularly on how it happened. But senators said the report has not been made public so far.
"There is no one responsible. The culture of impunity has expanded more than in the past," Deputy Senate Speaker Mohammad Alam Ezedyar said.
Eyewitnesses said the fire spread rapidly after it broke out as the fuel tankers were parked very close to each other.
"They went kaboom! one after another in five seconds," said Ghulam Nabi, a fuel truck owner who says his vehicle was burned in the fire.
Other tanker truck owners said they are fed up with the government checkpoints along their way to Kabul as they are stopped for several hours each time they reach the entrance gates of the capital city.
"We were allowed to move at 12:30 pm but we were stopped by the checkpoint. We are devastated," said Najibullah, a truck owner.
"I was asked to give 300 Afs to move. Is it the government?" asked Ghulam Sakhi, owner of a fuel tanker.
Kabul governor Yaqub Haidari said that those who have stopped the vehicles and have made the parking where the fuel tankers were parked should be responsible.
"On what decision was this parking made?" he asked.
Home, Vehicle Owners Protest Over Kabul Fire Damages
[ToloNews] A massive fire that began with a tanker truck carrying fuel in the Shakar Dara district of Kabul along the highway connecting the capital with northern provinces has inflicted heavy damage to vehicles and nearby houses as residents described.
This led to a protest by residents of the area who closed the highway to traffic for many hours on Sunday.
The fire first erupted in a tanker truck that was parked among dozens of others in a line waiting to enter Kabul.
Owners of the fuel tanker trucks said they are often stopped like this by security forces and officials before they enter Kabul. They said it has been one of their main concerns for a long time.
Unconfirmed figures by the residents show that at least 100 houses were damaged in the Qala-e-Murad Bek area. A restaurant, a fuel station, many shops and many vehicles that were passing through have been damaged in the fire.
Unconfirmed figures show that dozens of tanker trucks were burned in the fire.
"We suggested many times to transfer the checkpoint from here, but no one heard our voice, including in the Shakardara district governor’s office," said Jamshid, a resident of Qala-e-Murad Bek.
Other residents said that the government has failed to build a parking slot for the fuel tankers to ensure their safety. Now trucks park in a line near the entrance gate of Kabul.
"This is not a proper place because there are many residential houses around. The (Kabul) governor issued orders many times, but they were not implemented," Shakardara district governor Gawhar Khan Baburi said.
Trucks carrying goods also park near the entrance gate leading into Kabul. 
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Posted by trailing wife 2021-05-03 00:00||
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