July 15, 2021
2 mins read

9 Chinese among 12 killed in Pakistan bus ‘blast’

Preliminary reports stated that six Chinese and three Pakistanis- two Pakistani paramilitary personnel and a labourer- had lost their lives…reports Asian Lite News

Death toll in the Pakistan bus “bombing attack” rose to 12 with three more Chinese nationals being killed after the vehicle in which they were travelling inside the country’s Khyber Pakhtunkhawa fell into a ravine following an explosion, Chinese media reported.

Preliminary reports stated that six Chinese and three Pakistanis- two Pakistani paramilitary personnel and a labourer- had lost their lives and several people injured after a blast in the vehicle carrying them to the Dasu Dam Hydropower Dam Project in the Upper Kohistan district, an area in Pakistan’s rural northwest.

In a statement, Pakistan’s foreign affairs ministry said the bus had fallen into the ravine “after a mechanical failure resulting in leakage of gas that caused a blast.” It said an investigation was underway.

Chinese media outlet Global Times initially reported that “six Chinese nationals and three Pakistani nationals were killed in the bombing attack in Pakistan on Wednesday, the Chinese embassy has confirmed.” It later updated to say that three more Chinese nationals succumbed to their injuries.

Addressing a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday, a spokesperson of the Chinese government urged Pakistan to take swift action as well as strengthen the security of Chinese institutions, projects and personnel in the country.

A statement from the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan said, “The Chinese Embassy expresses its deep condolences to the victims and sympathy for the injured and will do its best with Pakistan to properly deal with the aftermath.”

The Chinese embassy in Islamabad also has warned its nationals living in Pakistan to remain highly alert and avoid going out.

Part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and built under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, the Dasu Hydropower Project located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kohistan is aimed at connecting western China to the Gwadar sea port in southern Pakistan. One of the companies involved in the project is China’s Gezhouba Group.

Meanwhile, the regional commissioner of Upper Kohistan said that following the incident, the local administration quickly moved to rescue the injured people and rush them to hospital.

Deputy Commissioner Arif Khan Yousafzai also informed that the incident took place early in the morning around 7:30 am on a coaster carrying over 30 workers from the Barseen camp to the plant site.

The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), confirmed that employees of a Chinese company were travelling in the bus, adding that rescue efforts were underway at the site of the incident and the injured were being shifted to a hospital. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Blow to China as India, Maldives hold naval exercise

Previous Story

Taliban captures major border crossing with Pak

Next Story

Pak confident on China, but says there are no free lunches

Latest from -Top News

Pakistan reverses support for Trump’s Gaza peace plan

Pakistan retracts support for Trump’s Gaza peace plan, citing differences with Muslim nations’ draft; move reflects domestic sensitivities and regional alignment amid ongoing Middle East conflict diplomacy. In a surprising shift, Pakistan’s

Hamas agrees to release all hostages

Hamas agrees to release all Israeli hostages under Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan, backed by global powers and the UN, paving the way for regional stability. Hamas has formally agreed to release

Qatar now under US shield

Trump offers Qatar an unprecedented security guarantee, pledging US military protection amid Israeli strike and Gaza peace negotiations, reinforcing Qatar’s role in regional diplomacy. In an extraordinary move, the United States has

UAE condemns Manchester attack

UAE condemns Manchester synagogue attack; UK deploys extra police, PM Starmer vows protection for Jewish communities while emergency services respond to a shocking Yom Kippur tragedy. The United Arab Emirates has strongly

Arab nations back Gaza peace plan

The US plan, comprising 20 points, has drawn support from a wide range of Arab and Muslim nations, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Turkiye, and Indonesia. Qatar has
Go toTop

Don't Miss

‘Normal exchange’: China on docking of ship at Hambantota

The research and survey vessel was earlier scheduled to dock

Pak-Afghanistan rift widens with Taliban’s refusal to handover TTP militants after air strikes

Ignoring Taliban’s protests of Pakistan air strikes inside Afghanistan, the