This archive report was first published on 18 August 2019.
On August 17, 2019, a packed wedding hall in Kabul, Afghanistan, was the site of a horrific explosion that claimed the lives of 63 people and left 182 others wounded.
The blast, which occurred near the stage in the wedding hall, was likely caused by a suicide bomber, according to local news reports.
Photos from inside the hall showed the devastating aftermath, with wrecked tables and bodies strewn all over. Videos captured the panic outside as family members frantically searched for their loved ones.
'It was a sudden explosion inside; all my brothers, I can’t find any of them,' a young man, covered in blood, said in a video circulating on social media.
Health Ministry official Muhibullah Zeer, who was at the nearby Istiqlal hospital, described the explosion as 'huge.' He added, 'We are busy with collecting the data and shifting the wounded to hospitals. We don’t know how many were killed and how many were wounded.'
The Dubai City Wedding Hall, where the attack occurred, is located in a neighborhood inhabited by ethnic Hazaras, who are largely Shiite. This area has seen repeated suicide bombings in the past couple of years, targeting so-called soft targets with minimal security.
The attack comes despite high security across Kabul, with preparations underway for the country’s celebration of the 100th anniversary of repelling an invasion by the British.
The incident also coincides with the United States nearing a deal with the Taliban, which could represent the beginning of an end to the 18-year American presence in the country.
