Iran Helping Afghanistan after Gas Tanker Explosion
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran is in contact with Afghan officials after a gas tanker explosion at a border customs post in Herat Province and has made arrangements to help the people and vehicles fleeing from the disaster scene, the Foreign Ministry said.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Saturday that the governor of the Afghan province of Herat has contacted the governor of the Iranian province of Razavi Khorasan asking for help to prevent more damages to the facilities and people at the customs post area.
Pointing to the contacts between Iran’s Consulate General in Herat and the Afghan authorities and the coordination among the Foreign Ministry, Border Police and other organizations, the spokesman said “the Islam Qala-Dogarun border crossing has been kept open for the trucks, automobiles and people that had fled to the Iranian border from the fire.”
Iran has also made arrangements to help those injured in the blast, he added.
Khatibzadeh said Tehran has not received any report so far about injuries to Iranian nationals, expressing hope that the fire would be extinguished with coordination between the officials of the two neighbors.
Reports suggest that at least 10 people have been injured when a gas tanker exploded in the Afghan town of Islam Qala near the Iranian border.
The fire spread to dozens of nearby fuel trucks, the Afghan officials said. Governor of Herat Waheed Qatali said Iranian authorities had been asked for urgent assistance to contain the blaze.