An explosion in central Kabul on Monday killed at least seven people, said Italian NGO EMERGENCY, which runs a hospital in the Afghan capital. “Twenty people have been received at EMERGENCY’s Surgical Centre in Kabul following an explosion this afternoon in the Shahr-i-Naw area, near the hospital. Among those received were seven people dead on arrival,” the NGO said in a statement. Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran told AFP that the “explosion occurred in a hotel on Gulfaroshi Street in Shahr-i-Naw”. He did not share any information about the cause of the explosion. China’s state news agency Xinhua , citing a hotel employee, reported that two Chinese citizens were seriously wounded in the incident. The agency also reported the death of an Afghan security guard. No group has claimed responsibility for the blast. The Shahr-i-Naw area is home to foreigners and is considered one of the most secure areas in Kabul. It also houses large office buildings, shopping complexes and embassies.