There was no immediate word of any casualties. Sirens could be heard in the minutes after the blast as rescuers and police rushed to the scene.
It was the fifth major attack to hit Kabul in just over two weeks, coinciding with a new offensive by Taliban insurgents across the country.
A Reuters witness said the explosion hit an intersection near the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Mines.
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.
