Fire destroys at least 100 fuel tankers on Afghan-Iranian border

ISLAM QALA (Afghanistan) • At least 100 oil and gas tankers have been destroyed by fire in a "catastrophe" at Afghanistan's biggest trade crossing with Iran, causing millions of dollars of losses, officials said.

The blaze, which broke out last Saturday at Islam Qala port 120km from the western city of Herat, has been contained and an investigation launched into its cause.

"We were told that 100 or 200 tankers have been destroyed, but this number could be higher," said a spokesman for the governor of Herat province.

During the blaze, looters descended on the site, stealing goods that were being imported and exported across the border, Herat Chamber of Commerce head Younus Qazi Zada said.

"The catastrophe was much bigger than imagined," he said, adding: "Unfortunately, irresponsible people have looted a large number of goods."

Mr Qazi Zada added that initial estimates were of "millions of dollars of losses".

The governor's spokesman added that investigators needed more time to examine the extent of the damage.

Islam Qala is one of the major ports in Afghanistan, through which most official trade with Iran is conducted. Kabul has waivers from Washington allowing it to import oil and gas from Iran despite United States sanctions.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said the border "was held open for trucks, cars and people running from the fire".

Afghanistan's Vice-President Amrullah Saleh said hundreds of trucks were allowed to enter Iran to escape the fire.

Traders have been asked to use alternative border crossings.

Militants from the Taleban group had regularly attacked fuel tankers they suspect of supplying foreign troops in the country. In 2014, the hardline group destroyed more than 200 fuel trucks on Kabul's outskirts in an attack.

There was no indication that the militants were behind Saturday's blaze.

However, insurgents assaulted a nearby security post shortly after the blaze broke out, taking advantage of the situation, said the governor's spokesman.

Security forces have been deployed around the port area.

Afghanistan has been hit by a surge in violence despite ongoing peace talks between the Taleban and the Afghan government, which have so far failed to achieve a breakthrough.

The rise in violence has led US President Joe Biden's administration to launch a review of a deal signed between Washington and the terror group last year that paved the way for the withdrawal of all American troops in the coming months.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE