12 killed in stampede near Pakistani embassy in Afghanistan

JALALABAD: 12 women were killed in a stampede near the Pakistani consulate in Afghanistan.

According to the Afghan News Agency, three men and nine women were injured in the incident in Jalalabad, Nangarhar Province.

Confirming the deaths, provincial governor spokesman Ataullah Khan said those injured and killed in the crash had gathered outside the Pakistani consulate to obtain Pakistani visas.

According to Afghan media, hundreds of people gather outside the Pakistani consulate to apply for Pakistani visas on a daily basis, with some queuing up from the night before.

Pakistan’s ambassador to Afghanistan Mansoor Khan expressed his regret over the incident in a tweet.

Deeply saddened at the reports of casualties at a stadium in Jalalabad 5 km from Pakistani Consulate where visa applicants were being organized by Afghan provincial authorities. We sympathize with the families of victims.

— Mansoor Ahmad Khan (@ambmansoorkhan) October 21, 2020