UNAMA and Amnesty call for probe into school blast in Dasht-e-Barchi
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and Amnesty International have called for a comprehensive, independent and impartial investigation after an explosion at an educational centre in Dasht-e-Barchi, Kabul, stressing the need to ensure the safety of schools and civilians.
The explosion took place on Monday evening at the private Shama Hedayat school in the Mahdia township, in Kabul’s 18th police district. According to UNAMA, at least 42 children aged 9 to 14 were injured in the incident.
A security source told Pajhwok last night that the number of injured in the incident had risen to 52. Expressing sympathy for the affected children and their families, UNAMA said the circumstances of the incident must be clarified.
The mission stressed that schools and educational centres must be safe environments for children. Amnesty International also voiced concern over the incident and called on the Taliban administration to ensure the protection of civilians, including ethnic and religious minorities.
Amnesty International also called for a comprehensive, effective, independent and impartial investigation in line with international laws and standards. The organisation said those suspected of involvement in the incident must be held accountable through a fair judicial process.
Dasht-e-Barchi, in western Kabul, is an area that has repeatedly seen attacks on educational, religious and civilian sites in recent years, incidents that have repeatedly raised concerns among human rights groups about the safety of residents in the area.
