Devastating landslide at Torkham claims six lives, dozens feared buried

Torkham, Khyber District: A devastating landslide at the Pak-Afghan border crossing, yesterday, has claimed the lives of at least six people and injured four others. Dozens more are feared to be buried under the heavy debris, which fell on containers loaded with exports and some of them caught fire in the accident, reported the authorities.

In response to the disaster, rescue teams from Rescue 1122, Civil Administration, FC, Khyber Police, and Pakistan Army have been participating in the rescue operation.

According to the spokesperson of Rescue 1122 Khyber, Maqsood Alam, the rescue officials have removed the bodies of three people from under the debris, including Hukam Khan, son of Lokaat Khan, Ayaz Khan, son of Hukam Khan, and Malik Khan, residents of Afghanistan. Three other bodies have been identified in the debris, and the work of extricating them is ongoing.

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Among the injured are Khasadar son of Abdul Sattar, Ajirullah son of Samin Shah, Samin Shah, and Khaista Gul son of Dawa Jan. The relatives of the people who were buried under the debris are still coming to the scene, and from the information received from these relatives, it can be estimated that there are around 30 to 40 crew members in 20 to 30 containers under the wreckage, he added.

As per the spokesperson, the rescue personnel is facing difficulties due to the large rocks in the heavy debris of the landslide. The rocks have to be cut by heavy machinery before the debris can be removed. Furthermore, the rescue operation has been hampered by the rain in Torkham, which has continued through the second night of the rescue operation.

The tragedy has drawn the attention of high-ranking officials, including Corps Commander Peshawar Lieutenant General Hasan Azhar Hayat, Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, DG Rescue 1122, and DC Khyber, who have visited the scene and reviewed the operation.

Transport union leaders expressed their deep grief over the Torkham tragedy and alleged that the container collapse incident in Torkham was the result of the negligence of NLC. They have called for an FIR against the institution and for the damages of the transporters to be redressed.

As the rescue operation continues, the focus remains on recovering those still buried under the debris and providing support to the affected families.