Death toll lowered to 8 in southern Afghan bombing, 38 injured

Death toll lowered to 8 in southern Afghan bombing

KABUL — Police have lowered the death toll in a bicycle bombing in southern Afghanistan from 17 to eight.

An additional 38 people were injured in the blast Wednesday in the district of Nahr-e-Sarraj just north of Lashkar Gah in Helmand province. Kamaluddin, the deputy provincial police chief who uses only one name, said the higher original figure had resulted from a miscommunication.

The bomb concealed on a bicycle exploded near people who had gathered to receive free vegetable seeds provided by the British government as part of a program to encourage them not to plant opium poppy, provincial government spokesman Daoud Ahmadi said.

There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the bombing.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

KABUL (AP) — Police say a bomb concealed on a bicycle has killed 17 people in southern Afghanistan.

Another 15 people were injured in the blast Wednesday in the district of Nasri Sarraj just north of Lashkar Gah in Helmand province. That’s according to Kamaluddin, the deputy provincial police chief who uses only one name.

Provincial government spokesman Daoud Ahmadi said people had gathered in the area to receive free seeds from the government as part of a program to encourage them not to plant opium poppy.