Islamabad, April 18: Eight people were injured and scores of others went missing following a massive landslide that hit the Torkham border area in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Tuesday, rescue sources said.
The incident took place at about 3:50 a.m. at the border area near Afghanistan, sources from the state-owned Rescue 1122 told Xinhua news agency. "It was a massive landslide, and part of a mountain caved in when it was struck by lightning, trapping dozens of trucks waiting to cross the border," the sources added. Record Increase in Deaths Due to Terrorism in Pakistan in First Quarter of 2023: Report.
Landslide Hits Torkham Border Area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province
A massive landslide in Torkham claims 2 lives as dozens of cargo trucks remain buried under the debris. Rescue ops continue. Local administration has called heavy machinery from Peshawar, Mardan and Nowshehra. #Pakistan #Afghanistan #Breaking pic.twitter.com/ls3HhhBbM5
— Suhaib Zuberi (@SuhaibZuberi) April 18, 2023
Earlier in a statement, Rescue 1122 said that several vehicles caught fire after the landslide, adding that initially three ambulance were dispatched to the site The statement said that judging from the magnitude of the incident, ambulances and firefighters from other parts of the province have also been called in. Pakistan: Over 850 People Killed or Injured in Terrorist Attacks, Counter-terrorism Operations from January to March.
About 60 rescue workers are taking part in the operation, and all resources are being used to recover the trapped people from the rubbles, the statement added.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 18, 2023 02:09 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).