The plume of smoke and dust after the blast in Kabul.

At least five people died and 42 were injured in a suicide blast in central Kabul near a block of government buildings today.The blast took place inside a car at the Justice Ministry parking lot, preliminary investigations found. The car was parked 10 blocks from the Serena hotel, where an international contact group for Afghanistan was holding a meeting.Around 50 ambassadors of Afghanistan and Pakistan were present at the hotel. Several Indians were present at the meeting too, all of whom are safe, sources told NDTV.Sirens could be heard in the minutes after the blast as rescuers and police rushed to the spot.

This was the fifth major attack to hit Kabul in just over two weeks, coinciding with a new offensive by Taliban insurgents across the country.The blast sent a plume of black smoke billowing above the city and was strong enough to rattle windows several kilometres away in Kabul's diplomatic district.