Afghanistan: 15 Dead In Stampede Near Pak Consulate

Atleast 15 people were killed and several others injured in a stampede that occurred in an open ground on Tuesday where thousands of Afghan nationals gathered to secure visas from the Pakistan consulate in Afghanistan.

The stampede, which occurred in a stadium in Jalalabad city, occurred when many people tried to exit the stadium in a hurried manner.

According to a provincial governor's spokesperson Attaullah  Khogyani, the applicants had been directed to the football stadium to avoid large crowds from gathering at the visa centre.

"Unfortunately, this morning, tens of thousands of people had come to the football stadium which led to the tragic incident," he said.

Thousands of Afghans had arrived early morning on Tuesday to apply for medical visas or to visit relatives after the Pakistan consulate in Afghanistan resumed issuing visas last week.

Officials in the Pakistan embassy have not commented on the incident yet.