Loss of life toll soars following huge landslide in Afghanistan-Pakistan border

The demise toll from a large landslide earlier this week that buried a fleet of vehicles ready to cross from Pakistan into Afghanistan has risen to eight, based on officers.

Tuesday’s pre-dawn landslide hit the Torkham border submit, the busiest commerce and transit level between the 2 international locations, as greater than 100 vehicles had been ready to cross.

“To this point we have now recovered seven useless our bodies,” Pakistani rescue companies spokesperson Bilal Faizi stated on Saturday, including that “an operation is ongoing to get better an eighth physique” from the particles.

A complete of 20 vehicles had been buried within the accident in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, with rescue companies initially reporting two deaths.

The brunt of the slide hit round 120 metres (130 yards) from the primary border crossing, inflicting fires as drivers had been cooking meals on gasoline hobs forward of daylight fasting through the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Torrential in a single day rain

“Our staff are near the eighth useless physique, they’ll see it,” stated Faizi. “We had eliminated 60 p.c of the particles, however yesterday one other landslide occurred in the identical space so the rescue operation was delayed.”

District deputy commissioner Abdul Nasir Khan confirmed the demise toll and stated street visitors had resumed on Thursday.

The reason for the landslide was not clear within the fast aftermath, however one official stated Tuesday that heavy equipment had been in use for months on an enlargement mission within the hills surrounding the border submit.

Torrential in a single day rain might also have contributed, the official stated.

READ MORE: Commerce resumes as Pakistan reopens key border crossing with Afghanistan

Supply: TRTWorld and businesses