KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (KNX) -- At least 5 people are dead and 60 injured in a riot in the Afghan capitol of Kabul, which was sparked by a deadly traffic accident involving U.S. troops.
Witnesses said the incident began when a convoy of at least three U.S. Humvees entered the city and hit several civilian cars in rush-hour traffic jam.
"The American convoy hit all the vehicles which were in their way. They didn't care about the civilians at all,'' said Mohammad Wali, 21, a shopkeeper.
As the violence escalated, hundreds of marchers descended on the palace of President Hamid Karzai, shouting "Death to Karzai! Death to America."
As the situation escalated into a full blown riot, several buildings were ransacked, including a sprawling compound belonging to the international aid group CARE International.
Witnesses report seeing protestors pulling a foreigner from his car and beating him. The man wrenched himself free and ran toward a line of police who fired shots over the heads of the demonstrators.
Two NATO peacekeeping tanks were driven at high speed through Kabul as Afghan troops were deployed around the city. Police guard boxes were smashed and police cars were set fire.
Colonel Thomas Collins said the collision that set off the rioting was caused when a large cargo truck in a coalition convoy encountered a mechanical failure that caused it to hit as many as 12 civilian vehicles. He said a further inquiry is underway.
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