At least 14 people have been killed and 45 wounded when two explosions ripped through a marketplace in the city of Bamiyan in central Afghanistan, according to officials.

Zabardast Safai, the police chief of the eponymous province said on Tuesday the explosives were hidden at the side of a road in Bamiyan, home to many members of the mainly Shia Hazara ethnic minority.

The victims included 12 civilians, including children, and two traffic police officers.

According to the interior ministry, the blasts ripped through the marketplace in the evening rush hour.

Spokesman Tariq Arian said two magnetic bombs caused the blasts in the crowded market, calling it an “unforgivable crime”.