Details are uncertain and officially the number of casualties was recorded as between 168–176 Soviet and Afghan soldiers and civilians.

[2] Prior to the 1982 fire, on 23 February 1980, carbon monoxide buildup killed 16 Soviet soldiers in the Salang Tunnel.

All information available constitutes little more than hearsay, in part because the Soviet Army was not inclined to reveal massive losses during wartime.

According to Soviet Army records, on 3 November 1982, two military convoys (2211 and 2212) collided in the Salang tunnel causing a traffic jam, but no fire or explosion.

[6] Shortly after the event, Western diplomats indicated that a collision with a fuel truck initiated the fire in the tunnel that led to the catastrophe, resulting in the death of as many as 700 Soviet soldiers and 400 to 2,000 Afghan civilians.