Ammunition Dump Blast Rocks Kabul; Death Toll Believed High

A series of explosions rocked the Afghan capital of Kabul for more than five hours Wednesday when an army ammunition depot blew up, sources reported. It appeared that many people had been killed, they said.

Western diplomatic sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the ammunition depot at the sprawling base of the Afghan army’s 8th Division exploded around midnight and that the blasts continued until shortly before dawn. A fireball shot 1,000 feet high at one point and clouds of smoke spread over the city as the blaze spread to a missile battery, they said.

The explosions could have been the work of guerrillas, who have been fighting the Soviet-backed Communist government for seven years, the sources said. They also mentioned the possibility of sabotage by dissidents within the regime and did not rule out accident.

But they said Afghan and Soviet security forces repeatedly opened fire after the explosions began and swept surrounding hills with searchlights.

Frequent Rebel Target

The 8th Division headquarters has been a frequent target for the guerrillas, who rocketed the base Aug. 18, the sources said.

The blasts shattered windows up to six miles from the base. The depot was one of the largest in the country and housed tons of ammunition, explosives, bombs and shells, according to Afghan exile sources.

An Afghan soldier at the base said people had died in the explosions but could not say how many, the sources reported.

The diplomatic and exile sources, who have proved reliable in the past, said the depot in the Qarga Lake area of western Kabul is densely populated and speculated that there were many casualties. Dozens of ambulances were seen racing in and out of the district, they said.

The government rarely allows Western reporters into Afghanistan and reports from inside the country cannot be checked independently.

The government confirmed that the depot blew up but said there had been no deaths, although it reported rescue work in progress. Residents of the area were evacuated, it said.

Radio Cites Carelessness

Kabul radio, the government station, said an initial investigation indicated that the explosion was caused by carelessness. The radio, monitored in Islamabad, told listeners not to heed what it termed “imperialist lies” that the explosion was the work of guerrillas or dissidents.

Afghan leader Najib visited the scene Wednesday morning with the ministers of defense, home affairs and state security, the radio said.

The depot was still burning Wednesday evening and the city fire brigade was fighting the flames, the sources said.

Muslim guerrillas fighting the Communist government periodically attack the capital with rockets or send armed squads into the city.