More than 100 oil tankers catch fire on Afghanistan-Iran border

Agency. At least 100 oil and gas tankers have caught fire at Afghanistan’s largest trade gateway with Iran. According to officials, the fire destroyed property worth millions of dollars.

The blaze broke out on Saturday afternoon in Islam Kwala, about 120 kilometers from the western Afghan city of Herat, on the border with Iran. Even though the fire was brought under control, the investigation into the incident has already started, officials said.

A spokesman for the governor of Herat province, Jailani Farhad, said 100 or 200 tankers had been destroyed by the fire. He said that the real details can be obtained only from the investigation of the incident.

He said about 20 people were injured in the blaze and were taken to a local hospital. Video footage posted on social media showed a large plume of smoke in the sky, according to local news agencies.

The Afghan Ministry of Finance said the fire caused significant economic damage to fuel, tankers and customs offices.

Yunus Kwaji Jada, head of the Herat Chamber of Commerce, said in a preliminary statement that the damage was in the tens of millions of dollars. Electricity was cut off in most parts of Herat province on Sunday.

Islam Kwala is an important trade gateway to Afghanistan. Most of the trade with Iran takes place through this port. The United States has allowed Afghanistan to import oil and gas from Iran despite US sanctions.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said the border with Iran had to be reopened for some time after the fire broke out. He added that firefighters from both the countries were immediately mobilized. He said the Taliban attacked a nearby security checkpoint shortly after the fire broke out.