A suicide bomber has today killed up to 90 people in Afghanistan, including at least five MPs, according to healthcare officials.

The attack, which took place early this morning, is believed to be the most deadly on the Afghan Government since the fall of the Taleban in 2001.

Witnesses said the explosion ripped through a political delegation that was due to visit a sugar factory in the northern Afghan town of Baghlan.

Casualty figures remained unclear this afternoon, but it was believed that Sayed Mustafa Kazimi, an opposition spokesman and former Afghan Commerce Minister, was among the dead.

Children were also believed to be among the dead as large crowds of youngsters, as well as local residents, had crowded the visiting MPs who were on an economic fact-finding mission.

“Five MPs are confirmed dead and three wounded,” said Daud Sultanzai, one of the MPs in the delegation. It is thought that bodyguards and other members of the delegation were also killed in the blast near the town of Pul-i-Khumr.

Dr Khalilullah, the Baghlan hospital director, told Reuters: “The bodies of 90 people have been brought to the hospital so far and 50 people have been wounded.”

The Interior Ministry confirmed that more than 50 people were killed and wounded as the delegation reached the industrial part of the town of Baghlan.

Mohammed Rahim, who said the blast had killed his two cousins, both schoolgirls, told Reuters: “I saw bodies lying in the streets and some of the people were stealing the weapons of the dead soldiers. Children are screaming for help. It’s like a nightmare.”

The blast appears to be one of the worst attacks against members of Afghanistan’s Government that was installed in 2001. Hard-line Taleban bombers have killed regional governors in the past, but they have never killed so many high government officials in one attack.

The Islamist group have killed more than 200 people in more than 130 suicide attacks so far this year in a campaign of violence aimed at convincing Afghans that their government and its Western backers are incapable of providing security. Northern Afghanistan had until now, however, escaped much of the violence.

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