Many die in Afghan tanker blasts

At least 90 people have been killed after a Nato air strike blew up two fuel tankers 2 hijacked 3 by the Taliban in northern Afghanistan, officials say.

Nato confirmed(确认) to the BBC that an air strike happened in Kunduz province on the main road to Baghlan.

The governor of Kunduz told the BBC senior Taliban commanders were killed. Witnesses said villagers also died.

A spokesman for the Nato-led coalition 4 said it was investigating reports of civilian 5 deaths.

A Taliban spokesman confirmed to the BBC that its fighters had stolen two Nato fuel tankers on Thursday night, which then got stuck, although he did not say how.

The Taliban decided 6 to empty the tankers and local people arrived to take some of the fuel, he said.

At this point, a Nato air strike hit the tankers causing a huge explosion.

An International Security Assistance Force (Isaf)（国际安全援助部队） spokesman in Kabul told the BBC that Isaf forces had spotted 7 the hijacked tankers on the banks of the Kunduz river and the local commander ordered an air strike in which both tankers were destroyed.

If it emerges that a number of civilians 8 have been killed then that will obviously be very disappointing to Nato.

The issue of civilian casualties caused by international military action is extremely sensitive here. It has caused great anger.

It is something military commanders have said they are determined 9 to clamp down on, because they say if they win territory and not the people then they are not doing their job.

The spokesman said a number of "insurgents 10" were killed.

One of the drivers of the tankers told the BBC that two of his colleagues had been beheaded when the Taliban carried out the hijacking 11.

Kunduz province Governor Mohammad Omar said most of the dead were Taliban fighters - including Chechen fighters - although other sources say many villagers had been killed while collecting fuel from the tankers.

Seriously burned people are crowding a hospital in Kunduz, AFP reported.

Rush for fuel

Witness Mohammad Daud, 32, told AFP that the militants 12 had been trying to transport the tankers across a river to villages in Angorbagh.

"They managed to take one of the tankers over the river. The second got stuck so they told villagers to come and take the diesel," he said.

"Villagers rushed to the fuel tanker 1 with any available container that they had, including water buckets and pots for cooking oil.

"There were 10 to 15 Taliban on top of the tanker. This was when they were bombed. Everyone around the fuel tanker died."

The incident came days after the top US general in Afghanistan reiterated 13 calls for a fresh approach to the conflict.

"The situation in Afghanistan is serious, but success is achievable and demands a revised implementation 14 strategy（战略）, commitment and resolve, and increased unity 15 of effort," Gen Stanley McChrystal wrote. (本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)