11 killed in gas reservoir fire in W. Afghanistan

At least 11 people were killed while 18 others wounded after a reservoir of liquefied gas caught fire in Herat city, capital of western Afghanistan's Herat province overnight Monday, sources said on Tuesday.

"The incident took place in a reservoir of a gas company in the northern part of the city late Monday night after a gas truck exploded near the complex. At least 10 back to back explosions shocked the area. The death toll may further rise as the fire caused huge damages to the nearby areas," a local police told Xinhua anonymously.

Majority of the deaths were children living in the nearby slum, where a camp of internally displaced persons (IDP) was located in the city, some 640 km west of Afghan capital, the source said.

Further details about the incident are still forthcoming amid the absence of official statement.

However, the source ruled out involvement of militants by saying that "lack of safety standards might have been the reason of the fire and that more details would be made public later as investigation is going on."