BLOODY riots flared across the Afghan capital yesterday as thousands marched in protest at the deaths of several passengers in a car involved in a collision with a US military convoy.

Security forces then reportedly shot dead demonstrators who had gathered at the accident site, sparking violent protest across the city. At least 14 people died and the Government introduced a night-time curfew.

Up to 2,000 people gathered in central Kabul, with groups marching on parliament, the presidential palace and Western missions, including the US and British embassies. Shops were looted and the offices of an aid agency ransacked. Protesters chanted “Death to America” and burnt US flags as they fought running battles with police.

While chaos reigned in the capital, US bombers struck against Taleban positions in southern Helmand province, killing up to 50 people.

Five Canadian soldiers were wounded during a clash in the neighbouring province of Kandahar.

The day of unprecedented violence capped a fortnight of killing in which 500 people, mainly Taleban militants, are reported to have died.

President Karzai went on television last night and blamed agitators and opportunists for yesterday’s trouble in Kabul. It began when a US army lorry or tank hit a civilian car during rush hour. According to Tolo TV, a local television station, eight people died in the accident.

A mob gathered around the US vehicles and started throwing stones, trying to prevent the US personnel from leaving the scene. Men in one of the US vehicles were seen to fire into the air above the crowd. Civilians said that police soon arrived and fired into the crowd. A statement issued by the US military said only that there were “indications that at least one coalition military vehicle fired warning shots over the crowd”.

Some bystanders claimed that US troops had also fired into the crowd, but that could not be corroborated.

As The Times tried to visit the scene the car was surrounded by an angry mob chanting: “We will skin you alive.”

The exact number of deaths was unknown, but some reports suggested that up to 30 people had been killed and more than 100 injured.

A policeman on the scene, who would only give his name as Hanif, said: “There are 30 or 40 bodies lying in the streets. They are still there.”

As he spoke, gunfire continued to crackle near by. Throughout the city the police and Afghan soldiers fired into the air as protesters went on the rampage, trying to storm embassies and offices belonging to aid agencies. The office of Care International was ransacked, with documents strewn across the road and a fire started in the compound. It is believed all the occupants escaped safely.

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