Dozens hurt as massive blaze erupts on Afghanistan-Iran border

Plumes of black smoke rise high after fuel trucks go up in flames; officials say cause of fire not immediately clear.

A massive fire has engulfed a customs post in Afghanistan after fuel trucks caught alight, injuring many people and prompting authorities across the nearby Iranian border to send fire engines and ambulances, officials said. Several local people battled to control Saturday’s blaze in the border town of Islam Qala, which initial reports said had started after a gas tanker exploded. Officials later said the cause was not immediately clear. Waheed Qatali, governor of the western province of Herat, said Iranian authorities and NATO-led personnel in Afghanistan had been asked for urgent assistance to contain the fire, which damaged electricity infrastructure, leaving much of Herat’s eponymous capital city without power.