Bus explosion kills 9 Chinese techies & 3 Pakistani soldiers in Kohistan
Wednesday, 14 July 2021 (13:19 IST)
At least 13 people, including foreigners, were killed and 39 others injured on Wednesday morning in a blast targeting a bus in Pakistan's northwest district of Upper Kohistan, local media reported.According to Geo News, the vehicle was carrying staff that has been working on building the Dasu Dam.Injured were rushed to the Rural Health Centre Dasu.
Nine Chinese nationals, three Pakistani soldiers and two locals were killed in an explosion that destroyed a bus on Wednesday in Pakistan.
The Chinese embassy in Pakistan confirmed in a statement that "a certain project of a Chinese firm in Pakistan suffered an attack, which caused the deaths of Chinese nationals."
What we know so far
The bus was carrying Chinese and Pakistani construction workers with a hydropower project
The blast took place in Pakistan’s Kohistan district of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
At least 36 people were injured
The blast sparked a fire in the bus engine
It sent the bus down a ravine after a night of rain
What are China's projects in Pakistan?
Engineers and construction workers from China are helping the country build a dam in Kohistan. Chinese and Pakistani construction workers were on their way to the site when the incident occurred.
The hydroelectric project is part of the $62 billion (€53 billion) China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) plan that tracks to link China's Xinjiang region with the Arabian Sea in south-western Pakistan.
The security of Chinese workers has long been an issue of concern in Pakistan. The Chinese embassy urged firms to strengthen their security procedures following the blast. (Reuters, dpa, AFP, AP)
