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Watch | Kabul hospital engulfed in flames after Pakistan airstrike, 400 feared dead

Visuals from Kabul show a hospital engulfed in flames after an alleged Pakistan airstrike, with at least 400 feared dead.

By Pritha Chakraborty

Mar 17, 2026 08:26 IST

Several videos have surfaced from Kabul showing a massive fire tearing through a hospital after an alleged Pakistani airstrike late on Monday night. The facility, reportedly used for treating drug users, was seen engulfed in flames as firefighters struggled to bring the situation under control. Emergency responders, using flashlights amid the darkness, were captured pulling out casualties from the debris.

Afghanistan’s deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat, in an X post, said that the strike hit the hospital at around 9 pm local time. Large sections of the 2,000-bed facility were destroyed in the attack.

Casualties mount amid ongoing conflict

Fitrat also said the death toll has “so far” reached 400, with hundreds more injured. While initial reports mentioned around 250 injured, later estimates placed the number closer to 350. The scale of the damage and casualties makes it one of the deadliest incidents in the Afghan capital in recent years.

Also Read | Pakistan airstrikes hit Kabul; Taliban says hospital struck, casualties reported

The attack comes as Afghanistan and Pakistan remain locked in escalating tensions, with fighting continuing for nearly three weeks.

Conflicting claims from Kabul and Islamabad

As per a report by the Hindustan Times, Afghanistan has blamed Pakistan for carrying out the airstrike, calling it a direct hit on civilian infrastructure. However, Pakistan has rejected the allegations, describing them as baseless.

A spokesman for Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the operation "precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure, including technical equipment storage and ammunition storage of Afghan Taliban.”

Videos show chaos and rescue efforts

Footage shared by local television channels shows scenes of chaos, with flames rising from the damaged structure and emergency teams working under challenging conditions.

Watch the videos here:

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