Pic Via TwitterNine Chinese nationals and two Pakistani soldiers were among the thirteen people killed in an explosion in a bus in a remote region of northern Pakistan on Wednesday (14 July).
Several others sustained injuries in the blast that targetted the bus carrying more than 30 Chinese engineers to the site of the Dasu dam in Upper Kohistan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The Dasu hydroelectric project is part of the $65 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a project under Beijing's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative. The CPEC is aimed at connecting western China to the Gwadar sea port in southern Pakistan.
"The bus plunged into a deep ravine after the blast and caused heavy losses. One Chinese engineer and one soldier are missing. The rescue operation is launched and the entire government machinery has been mobilised to rescue the injured by air ambulance," a senior police official of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province was quoted by news agency Reuters as saying.
The official further said that said two Pakistani soldiers and two locals were also among the dead.
An Appeal...
Dear Reader,
As you are no doubt aware, Swarajya is a media product that is directly dependent on support from its readers in the form of subscriptions. We do not have the muscle and backing of a large media conglomerate nor are we playing for the large advertisement sweep-stake.
Our business model is you and your subscription. And in challenging times like these, we need your support now more than ever.
We deliver over 10 - 15 high quality articles with expert insights and views. From 7AM in the morning to 10PM late night we operate to ensure you, the reader, get to see what is just right.
Becoming a Patron or a subscriber for as little as Rs 1200/year is the best way you can support our efforts.