10 people killed in explosion targeting bus in northern Pakistan

SANAA, Jul. 14 (YPA) – Ten people, including six Chinese and two Pakistani policemen, were killed in an explosion targeting a bus in northern Pakistan on Wednesday, Reuters agency, quoting local sources.

For his part, Moazzam Jah Ansari, the police chief of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, in which the accident occurred, confirmed the killing of six Chinese, two soldiers and two residents of the area, noting that “the police began an investigation to uncover the circumstances of the accident.” He said: “It appears that it was an act of sabotage.” “.

Reuters quoted a senior Pakistani government official as saying: “The bus plunged into a deep valley after the explosion, causing heavy losses. A Chinese engineer and a Pakistani soldier are still missing. A rescue operation has begun, and all government agencies have been mobilized to rescue the injured using air ambulances.

The agency indicated that, according to three other officials, “an explosion hit the bus,” while another senior police official told “Reuters” that “the death toll has already risen to 13, including nine Chinese and two soldiers.”

A senior Pakistani administrative official explained that “the bus was carrying about 30 Chinese engineers on their way to the Dasu Dam site in the upper Kohistan region.”

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that Beijing demanded Pakistan to conduct a thorough investigation into the bus explosion. Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a press briefing that Beijing condemned the explosion and offered condolences and called on Pakistan to protect the security and safety of Chinese citizens and enterprises and projects.