A devastating airstrike on a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul has left hundreds feared dead, many of them patients who were eating dinner when the attack struck.
Strike hits during dinner hour
The Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital was hit late Monday evening as patients had gathered to break their fast during Ramadan. According to survivors and staff, many were either eating in the dining area or preparing meals when the explosions occurred.
The timing of the strike turned an ordinary moment of relief after fasting into one of the deadliest tragedies in recent months.
Patients caught off guard
Survivors recalled that the first blast triggered panic, leaving little time for escape. A young patient said he had been helping serve food when he heard a loud explosion and ran.
When he returned, most of those who had been eating together were severely affected. Doctors added that some patients had also been at prayer nearby when the strikes hit multiple parts of the facility.
Families search for missing loved ones
Outside the damaged building, families gathered in distress, searching for relatives who had been inside during dinner time. Many said they had not received any information about their loved ones.
Several parents expressed fear that their children, who were undergoing treatment at the centre, were among those unaccounted for.
Death toll continues to rise
Officials estimate the number of deaths could reach around 400, though confirmation is still awaited. Many bodies recovered from the site were severely damaged, making identification difficult.
The scale of the loss has intensified grief among families and raised concern globally.
Questions over the strike
Pakistan has denied targeting the facility deliberately, stating that the operation was aimed at military locations. However, the incident has sparked serious concerns about civilian safety, especially as patients in a medical facility were caught during a routine moment like dinner.
A moment that turned tragic
What began as a simple gathering to share a meal after a day of fasting turned into a scene of destruction. For many families, the memory of their loved ones’ final moments—sitting together for dinner—has become the most painful part of the tragedy.