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American Morning

Explosion Rocks Jalalabad

Aired August 09, 2002 - 09:02   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Watching this story out of Afghanistan, Again, this explosion that rocked the town of Jalalabad earlier. Matthew Chance in Kabul now has much more on this story. Matthew, good afternoon to you there. What more do we know?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good afternoon to you, too. And the information that's been trickling through to us from the eastern city of Jalalabad is beginning to firm up a little bit with word from U.S. Military authorities on the ground, saying that according to U.S. officials in Jalalabad, about 12 people, 12 confirmed dead at this stage. Thirty-eight, according to their reports, have been injured. What's clear is that this was a devastating deadly explosion, which apparently took place at the warehouse of a construction company, formerly an NGO engaged in road building in that area of eastern Afghanistan.

Other reports, the Reuters news agency quoting a local military commander, saying as many as 20 may have been dead. As soon as we get more firm picture of exactly what happened there over the coming hours. This conflicting report, though, about what exactly caused the explosion, U.S. officials are saying that the explosion emanated from a vehicle, possibly a truck. They made it very clear, though, carefully to stop short of calling this a truck bomb. It appears to be some kind of theory going around this was the accidental detonation of explosives used in construction.

Again, these are theories all investigated right now, while emergency workers have picked through the devastation. Some 50 homes apparently destroyed in the blast. Hospitals reported to be inundated with the injured. We will get more information over the coming hours.

Back to you.

HEMMER: Sounds good. Matthew, thank you. Matthew Chance, live in Kabul.

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