Afghanistan: Many killed and wounded in visa stampede

Jalalabad

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

At least 11 women have been killed and many more injured in a stampede in a stadium in Afghanistan where people were applying for visas, officials say.

The incident happened after "thousands of people" gathered to request permits to Pakistan, BBC quoted a local spokesman as saying.

The crowd had been redirected to a sports stadium instead of the usual visa centre in the city of Jalalabad.

Visa applications to Pakistan have just resumed after a seven-month pause due to the pandemic.

"The visa applicants jostled to secure their token from the consulate officials," an official in Jalalabad said, according to Reuters.

"The crowd got out of control, leading to a stampede."

Pakistan's ambassador to Afghanistan, Mansoor Ahmad Khan, said he was "deeply saddened" by the incident and that his country was "engaged with Afghan authorities for better facilitation of visa applicants". It is thought a number of other women and elderly people have also been injured.