This image depicts an informal metal recycling or smelting operation in Shurandam, Afghanistan

This image depicts an informal metal recycling or smelting operation in Shurandam, Afghanistan. A male individual, dressed in a grey shalwar kameez and a light-colored fabric face covering that obscures his lower face, stands left of center. He wears dark gloves and holds a long-handled metal shovel with both hands, its blade positioned within a large pile of mixed, crushed aluminum beverage cans. A substantial, intense orange and red fire emanates from the center of this can pile, generating significant grey-white smoke. The ground is dark grey and covered with dust and debris. To the left of the individual, a stack of dark, roughly hewn rectangular blocks forms a low wall. Behind these blocks, two long, dark metal rods or tools lean against a dusty, rough brick wall that comprises the background. To the right of the burning cans, another stack of similar dark blocks supports a large, shallow metal basin and a smaller, deeper metal pot. An orange and white patterned sack leans upright against these blocks on the right. The overall environment is dusty and appears to be an enclosed or semi-enclosed workspace, with conditions consistent with high-temperature material processing.