The toll from the suicide bombing inside an educational institute in Afghanistan’s Kabul on Wednesday rose to 48, Reuters quoted the country’s Ministry of Public Health as saying. The attack wounded at least 67 people. A spokesperson for the Kabul Police said a suicide bomber blew himself up close to an academic centre.

The explosion in the Mawoud Academy in Dasht-e-Barchi took place at about 4.10 pm local time (5.10 pm Indian time) while students were in class. The institute is a private academy providing tertiary educational programmes for university-bound students.

The area was cordoned off by security forces. Residents claimed there were more than a dozen ambulances at the scene of the explosion.

The Taliban has denied responsibility for the attack.

Meanwhile, Arif Noori, spokesperson for the Ghazni provincial governor, said on Wednesday that “life is getting back to normal” five days after a Taliban assault on the city that has left around 100 Afghan troops dead. At least 35 civilians have also been killed.

The United States and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation have launched airstrikes and sent military advisers to aid Afghan forces. Hundreds of civilians have fled Ghazni since Friday.