Hong Kong stocks close 0.61 pct higher

Hong Kong's stock market ended higher Wednesday with the benchmark Hang Seng Index up 0.61 percent to close at 26,025.42 points.

The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index gained 0.1 percent to end at 8,835.5 points, and the Hang Seng Tech Index edged up 0.01 percent to end at 5,108.3 points.

At least 400 people were killed and around 250 injured on Monday after Pakistan's air force struck a hospital in the Afghan capital of Kabul, Afghan officials said Tuesday.

Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman of the Afghan government, said the strike hit the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital at around 21:00 local time, leaving the 2,000-bed facility largely destroyed.

Afghan authorities condemned the attack as a direct strike on civilians, noting the hospital was filled with patients undergoing treatment. The Ministry of Interior Affairs said all victims were non-combatants, including drug addicts under care.

Sharafat Zaman Amarkhil, spokesperson for the Afghan Ministry of Public Health, said rescue teams managed to save over 200 injured patients, highlighting the scale of the tragedy and the strain on Kabul's medical system.

"At the first stage, our rescue teams reached the area and fortunately we rescued more than 250 injured people that were admitted patients in the rehabilitation center here," said Zaman.

One of the doctors at the hospital described the devastation, reflecting on the cruel twist of fate that spared him but claimed the lives of those under his care.

"I was home when I was informed about the incident. Shortly, I contacted my colleagues to make sure what has really happened. Unfortunately, I found it as a fact and most of our patients were killed," said Maiwand Hoshmand, a doctor at the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul.

According to the officials, hundreds of wounded were rushed to hospitals across Kabul, with Wazir Mohamad Akbar Khan Hospital receiving the largest influx. Medical staff said they worked through the night treating many casualties and handling the deceased.

"I had just laid in my bed to take some rest when a heavy explosion was heard. It was so close to us. As the blast occurred, all the beds fell, and all of the patients were scattered due to the panic," said Naqibullah, a survivor.

Pakistan rejected the Afghan government’s account, saying its operations targeted militant infrastructure. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said security forces struck equipment and ammunition depots in Kabul and Nangarhar province that were allegedly used against Pakistani civilians.

International pressure is mounting for an independent investigation, with human rights groups demanding accountability. The incident comes amid escalating tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan following border clashes last month that left scores dead on both sides.