PESHAWAR:
A landslide near the Torkham border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan buried several freight vehicles and injured at least two people, while rescue officials expressed concern that more may be trapped inside the vehicles.
The incident occurred on the Torkham Export Road early Tuesday.
According to Express Newsthe injured were shifted to DHQ Landi Kotal Hospital in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Hospital sources said the injured were identified as drivers Ajrullah and Khashadar, and were being provided medical aid. They furthered that the condition of both was out of danger.
K-P Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry visited the site with the Peshawar commissioner and administrative officers to review the ongoing relief efforts.
Administrative personnel stated that heavy machinery was ordered from Peshawar and Nowshera. The provincial secretary highlighted that district administration, rescue personnel, police and other agencies were present at the spot.
Read D-8 aims to create collaborative mechanism against natural disasters
The chief secretary also visited the injured at the hospital and directed the administration to provide the best medical facilities to the injured.
Station House Officer (SHO) Ishrat Ali Khyber, while speaking to the media, elaborated that a fire broke out in the cargo vehicles and containers during the landslide, which caused more than a dozen vehicles to be engulfed in flames and increased the risk of casualties.
He confirmed that rescue efforts were ongoing.
According to rescue sources, firefighters and staff of Rescue 1122 were also dispatched to the scene.
Earlier this month, heavy landslides at the Koh-e-Sulaiman range due to the recent rains suspended traffic between Balochistan and K-P. However, no loss of life was reported.
A large part of the N-50 National Highway (DI Khan to Kuchlak and Quetta) was affected by the landslide at Balochistan’s Dhana Sar.
According to the Levies Force, seven people were injured in the incident and were shifted to a nearby hospital. Moreover, four vehicles were also damaged in the incident.