At least 400 people have been killed and around 250 others injured following an alleged Pakistani airstrike on a hospital in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, according to Taliban officials.

Afghanistan’s deputy government spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat said the strike occurred around 9 pm local time and hit a major drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul. The facility, which reportedly has a capacity of 2,000 beds, suffered extensive damage, with large sections destroyed in the attack.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid strongly condemned the incident, accusing Pakistan of deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure. In a statement posted on X, he alleged that the strike hit a medical facility where patients were undergoing treatment, calling the act a violation of international norms and “a crime against humanity.”

Pakistan, however, rejected the accusations. The country’s officials termed the claims “baseless” and denied targeting any hospital in Kabul.

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated that the military had carried out “precision airstrikes” but insisted the targets were military installations. According to him, the operations focused on “technical support infrastructure and ammunition storage facilities” at two locations in Kabul and in the eastern province of Nangarhar.

He further claimed that the strikes were aimed at infrastructure allegedly used to support militant groups, stressing that only specific targets were engaged.

The reported airstrike comes amid rising tensions between the two neighbouring countries. Afghan authorities said clashes along the border in recent days have resulted in casualties, with at least four people killed in Afghanistan.

The ongoing hostilities reportedly began in late February after Afghanistan launched cross-border actions in response to earlier Pakistani strikes, which Kabul claimed had caused civilian deaths.

The situation has further strained relations despite a ceasefire brokered last October. The truce had followed earlier violence that left dozens of civilians, soldiers, and suspected militants dead.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has described the situation as an “open war,” signalling a sharp escalation in the conflict between the two nations.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday released its first list of 47 candidates for the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections scheduled for April 9.

Voting will take place for all 140 seats in the state assembly, with counting of votes scheduled for May 4. A party or coalition needs at least 70 seats to secure a majority in the House.

Among the candidates announced in the first list are three former Union ministers — Rajeev Chandrasekhar, V. Muraleedharan and George Kurian.

Key candidates announced

Kerala BJP chief and former Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar has been fielded from the Nemom assembly constituency. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Chandrasekhar lost the Thiruvananthapuram seat to three-time MP Shashi Tharoor, but he led in the Nemom assembly segment during that contest. The party believes this performance strengthens its prospects in the constituency.

Nemom has held political significance for the BJP since 2016, when senior leader O. Rajagopal won the seat and became the party’s first-ever MLA in the 140-member Kerala Legislative Assembly. The victory marked the BJP’s initial breakthrough in the state assembly.

However, the seat returned to the Left camp in the 2021 Assembly election when V. Sivankutty defeated BJP leader Kummanam Rajasekharan.

Former Union minister V. Muraleedharan will contest from the Kazhakoottam constituency, while George Kurian has been nominated from Kanjirappally.

Other candidates in the list

According to the list released by the party, several other candidates have also been announced for key constituencies. P. C. George will contest from Poonjar, R. Sreelekha from Vattiyoorkavu and Padmaja Venugopal from Thrissur.

The BJP has also nominated Sobha Surendran from Palakkad, Navya Haridas from Kozhikode North and Kavitha K. S. from Sulthanbathery, a reserved constituency.

Raji Prasad will contest from the Kunnathur seat reserved for Scheduled Castes, while R. Rashmi has been fielded from Kottarakkara.

Political backdrop in Kerala

Kerala’s electoral politics has traditionally alternated between the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). However, the BJP has been attempting to expand its presence in the state.

The alternating trend was interrupted in the 2021 Assembly election when the electorate returned the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government to power for a second consecutive term.

The BJP believes recent electoral performances and local body successes have strengthened its position as it prepares to contest the upcoming assembly polls.

A major fire at the trauma care intensive care unit (ICU) of SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, Odisha, early Monday morning left ten patients dead and several hospital staff members injured.

According to officials, the fire broke out between 2:30 am and 3:00 am in the trauma ICU where critically ill patients were undergoing treatment. Emergency teams rushed to the scene soon after the incident, and multiple fire engines were deployed to control the blaze and assist in rescue operations.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said hospital staff were injured while evacuating patients from the affected ward during the emergency.

Patients shifted as rescue operations continued

Following the fire, 23 patients were moved to other departments and wards within the hospital to ensure their safety and continued medical care.

Speaking to reporters, the Chief Minister said seven critically ill patients died while being shifted to other ICUs and wards, while three more succumbed later.

“A total of 23 patients have been shifted to other departments. Seven serious patients died while shifting to other ICUs and wards, while another three patients died later. I have directed the concerned officers for proper treatment of the injured patients,” Majhi said.

Chief minister visits hospital, announces compensation

Soon after the incident, Majhi visited the hospital along with Odisha Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling to review the situation. They also met patients who were undergoing treatment at the facility.

The Chief Minister announced financial assistance of ₹25 lakh for the families of each deceased patient.

He also ordered a judicial probe into the incident to determine the cause of the fire and examine safety measures at the hospital.

Authorities continue to monitor the condition of injured staff members and patients who were shifted from the ICU.