At least 68 people have been killed after a car bomb attack outside a girls school in Afghanistan.
A series of explosions erupted in the neighbourhood of Dasht-e-Barchi, which is in the western part of the country's capital Kabul, according to Reuters.
The area is home to a large population of of Shi'ites from the Hazara ethnic minority.
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Hospitals have been overwhelmed by dozens of people injured in the attack, with at least 165 people needing treatment.
Authorities have revealed one car bomb was detonated on Saturday evening, causing students and teaching staff to rush out in panic.
When the girls and adults came outside, two more bombs exploded to maximise the impact of the attack.
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Zahra, 15, explained what happened from her perspective: "I was with my classmate, we were leaving the school, when suddenly an explosion happened.
"Ten minutes later there was another explosion and just a couple of minutes later another explosion. Everyone was yelling and there was blood everywhere, and I couldn't see anything clearly."
Officials say nearly all the victims are schoolgirls.
An Afghan official said (via Reuters): "The first blast was powerful and happened so close to the children that some of them could not be found."
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Many parents are going into hospitals to see if their little girl is among the death toll.
Afghanistan's President, Ashraf Ghani, blamed the Taliban for the attack, however the terrorist organisation has denied responsibility and condemned it.
Islamic State has previously carried out attacks against minority Shi'ites in the same area. Last year, there were two attacks that killed 50 people. ISIS hasn't yet claimed responsibility for this latest tragedy.
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There was swift reaction from leaders all around the world following the attack.
Pope Francis said it was an 'inhuman act' during an address at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, while United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres offered his sympathies to the victims and their families.
India's foreign ministry said in a statement: "The perpetrators clearly seek to destroy the painstaking and hard-won achievements that the Afghans have put in place over the last two decades."
Some even blamed the US for a rise in attacks in Afghanistan due to its plans to fully withdraw from the region by September.
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China's ambassador to Afghanistan, Wang Yu, said: "China calls on foreign troops in Afghanistan to take into full account the security of people in the country and the region, pull out in a responsible manner and avoid inflicting more turmoil and suffering on the Afghan people."
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