At least 42 children were injured after an explosion ripped through an education centre in Kabul’s Dasht-e-Barchi neighbourhood.
The blast prompted fresh fears over the safety of students in one of the capital’s most vulnerable communities.
The blast struck on Monday evening in an area largely home to Afghanistan’s Hazara and Shia minorities.
The area has faced repeated attacks in recent years.
A Kabul hospital said at least 35 injured students were treated, all aged between 10 and 14.
“All the patients were suffering from shrapnel injuries,” said Dejan Panic, Afghanistan country director for EMERGENCY. At least three children required surgery.
Blast Sparks Calls For Investigation
But what caused the explosion — and was the education centre deliberately targeted?
Those questions remain unanswered, with the UN calling for an investigation into the circumstances.
UN human rights expert Richard Bennett described the incident as a “heinous attack”.
The European Union said deliberate attacks on children and education centres were unacceptable.
The location has witnessed some of Afghanistan’s deadliest attacks.
A 2021 school bombing killed at least 85 people, mostly girls and women, while a 2022 blast at a tutoring centre killed at least 19 people.
For families in Dasht-e-Barchi, even a place meant for learning has once again become a place of fear.
