Hawzah News Agency - Bodies littered the scene and a towering plume of smoke rose from the area, which houses foreign embassies, after the blast in the morning rush hour blew out the windows of several missions and residences.

Witnesses described dozens of cars choking the roads as wounded survivors and panicked schoolgirls sought safety. Men and women struggled to get through security checkpoints to search for loved ones.

Hours after the explosion ambulances were still at the scene as rescue workers were digging bodies from the rubble.

“Unfortunately the toll has reached 80 martyred (killed) and over 300 wounded, including many women and children,” said health ministry spokesman Waheed Majroh, adding the figures would continue to climb as more bodies are pulled from the

debris.

The interior ministry, which put the number of wounded at 320, said a suicide bomber had detonated an explosives-packed vehicle in Zanbaq Square around 8:30 am. “More than 50 vehicles were either destroyed or damaged,” it said in a

statement.

The ministry called on Kabul residents to donate blood, saying hospitals were in “dire need”.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility. The Taliban — currently in the midst of their annual “spring offensive” — tweeted that they were not involved and “strongly condemn” the attack.

The insurgent group rarely claims responsibility for attacks that kill large numbers of civilians.

The ISIL TTakfiri group has claimed responsibility for several recent bombings in the Afghan capital, including a powerful blast targeting an armored NATO convoy that killed at least eight people and wounded 28 on May 3.