KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Two women were killed and two children injured when a gas cylinder exploded inside a house in Spin Ghar district of eastern Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province on Tuesday night, Taliban authorities said.
Sayed Tayyeb Hamad, spokesperson for the Taliban police command in Nangarhar, said the injured children were taken to a local hospital for treatment. The cause of the explosion has not yet been determined, and an investigation is underway, he added.
A similar incident occurred in Batikot district of Nangarhar days earlier, when a gas cylinder exploded inside a hotel, injuring at least 14 people, according to Taliban authorities.
Gas cylinders and heaters are commonly used for cooking and heating across Afghanistan, especially during the winter months when firewood and electricity are scarce or expensive. Such incidents, including explosions and gas poisonings, occur frequently and often result in casualties.
Last winter, at least 24 people, including women and children, died from gas-related incidents, and nearly 900 cases of gas poisoning were reported nationwide, according to Taliban authorities.
The incidents highlight the ongoing risks faced by families in Afghanistan, where economic hardship and limited access to safe energy sources increase vulnerability to such incidents.
