At least 15 people were killed in a stampede among thousands of Afghans gathered to apply for visas for neighbouring Pakistan in Afghanistan's eastern city of Jalalabad on Wednesday, officials said.

Thousands of Afghans had congregated on the open ground, usually used for sports or public gatherings, waiting to collect tokens needed to apply for a visa, two provincial officials told Reuters.

An Afghan news channel showed images of them holding passports aloft to secure a token. Images taken after the stampede showed scores of passports strewn across the ground.