Police: Kabul blaze no sabotage

Aljazeera correspondent in Kabul, quoting the police, said the fire at the warehouse  was not an act of sabotage. There were no casualties.

 

The police said a gas cylinder exploded in one of the warehouses which had stored goods imported from Pakistan and other countries. Inflammable materials were also stored in the warehouses, because of which the fire spread rapidly across the structures.

 

Firemen surrounded the area to prevent the fire from reaching the neighbouring houses.

 

Afghani police and firemen were the first to arrive on the scene. They were followed by peacekeeping forces which is normal procedure in this battle-ridden country.

 

Preventive moves

 

The fire broke out even as tension prevailed in the southern areas of Afghanistan where United States forces have moved military equipment, tanks and artillery pieces. The stocking up has occurred at Nangarhar, along a 100 metre long borderline with Pakistan in an attempt to prevent al-Qaeda fighters from attacking US bases.

 

A country desperately needing stability

Meanwhile, the World Bank on Wednesday approved $ 39.2 million in aid and credit to support Afghanistan’s public works programme, including rebuilding a badly damaged road network.

 

Comprising an $ 18.8 million  grant and $ 20.4 million in credit, the new financing will support the government’s rural roads access project, the World Bank said in a statement..

 

It is expected to create work equivalent to about 300,000 temporary jobs, lasting a month, and repair some 2,000 km of rural roads and nearly 2,300 metres of bridges.