Afghan security officials have not said what caused the blast near a school in the western section of the capital. Reports are conflicting as to what occurred and no group has yet claimed responsibility.

The dismal security situation in Afghanistan has only gotten worse as Western troops have left and the Taliban reasserts itself

An explosion outside a girls' school in the Dasht-e-Barchi neighbourhood of western Kabul on Saturday killed more than 50 people — all of them civilians, with most being young girls between the ages of 11 and 15. The blast left more than 100 people injured.

Afghanistan Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said the massive blast occurred around 4:30 p.m. local time (1400 UTC) when the girls were leaving school.

At least 30 people were initially reported dead, but the number of casualties rose to 50 on Sunday, the ministry said.

Afghan security officials would not comment on the cause of the blast and eyewitness accounts have so far been conflicting, with some suggesting a series of rocket attacks and others a car bomb.