Two People Killed In Grenade Explosion At Kabul International Cricket Stadium

Two people were killed in the grenade explosion that took place at the Kabul International Cricket Stadium. The tragic incident happened on Friday during a domestic T20 league match between Pamir Zalmi and Band-e-Amir Dragons in the national capital. 

Hundreds of people gathered to witness the match on a weekly holiday in Afghanistan on Friday (July 29). 

The blast happened due to a grenade; two people die: Kabul Police

The blast occurred in the crowd while the spectators witnessed the match of the Shpageeza cricket league 2022. 

“The blast happened due to a grenade, two have been killed and some of our countrymen injured,” Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran said on Saturday, as reported by news agency Reuters. 

“The match stopped for a while. After clean-up of the area the match restarted,” Zadran added.

Initially, officials including ACB Chief Executive Nassib Khan had reported four injuries and no deaths as a result of the explosion. Khan also mentioned that no ACB staff or players were hurt in the incident.

“The players, staff members and foreigners are all safe,” he said on Twitter without running into too many details about the tragedy.

Casualties in Kabul due to blast

According to Reuters, conflicting reports about the number of casualties had appeared in the media and within the diplomatic community.

An emergency hospital, located in central Kabul, said on Twitter on Friday it had received 13 casualties, 12 of whom were hospitalised. 

In a statement released on Saturday, Zadran requested people to refer only to security forces’ information when reporting casualty figures.

“We hope that our countrymen, foreign guests, diplomats and international organisations, do not directly campaign for those evil people who do not want happiness of Afghans,” Zadran said in a statement.

The Shpageeza Cricket League is the eighth edition and the first being played since the Taliban took over control of Afghanistan’s affairs in August last year.

Also Read: Watch: Afghanistan Stunned By Suicide Bomb Blast In Kabul International Stadium During A T20 Match