Afghanis in Kabul are terrified of a new fatal virus that's transmitted by mobile phones, causing the government to reassure the general populace that there is no cause for alarm.
Rumours and panic have spread like wildfire over the country, with people phoning their family and friends warning them not to answer calls from unknown numbers.
The story goes that a number of people have been killed at the weekend by a mystery virus which is contracted when taking a calls on a mobile phone.
"Don't answer any strange number because it contains a virus that will kill you," said Ahmad Fawad, a shop owner in Kabul.
The panic seems to have been caused by a prank text message that did the rounds in Pakistan last week that tells the reader that they have caught a fatal virus through the phone, claiming 20 people have already died.
Pakistan network operators released a joint statement saying: "These rumors are completely baseless. They do not make any sense in technological terms."
Afghan officials have since appeared on television, appealing for calm and reassuring people that there is no possible way a person can contract a virus via a telephone call.
The story goes that a number of people have been killed at the weekend by a mystery virus which is contracted when taking a calls on a mobile phone.
"Don't answer any strange number because it contains a virus that will kill you," said Ahmad Fawad, a shop owner in Kabul.
The panic seems to have been caused by a prank text message that did the rounds in Pakistan last week that tells the reader that they have caught a fatal virus through the phone, claiming 20 people have already died.
Pakistan network operators released a joint statement saying: "These rumors are completely baseless. They do not make any sense in technological terms."
Afghan officials have since appeared on television, appealing for calm and reassuring people that there is no possible way a person can contract a virus via a telephone call.