Dawn report
All of the victims were aboard a bus; the cause of the incident is yet to be ascertained.
www.dawn.com
At least 8 persons, including Chinese engineers, died and several others were injured on Wednesday near the Dasu hydropower plant in the Upper Kohistan district of Khyber Pakhtunkwha.
Upper Kohistan Deputy Commissioner Arif Khan Yousafzai told
Dawn.com that the incident took place early in the morning around 7:30am when a coaster was carrying over 30 workers, including Chinese engineers, from the Barseen camp to the plant site.
He said foreign engineers, Frontier Corps personnel and local labourers were aboard the bus when an explosion due to an incident involving two vehicles took place. However, the cause of the explosion has not been ascertained as yet, he said.
He said the site had been cordoned off by police and Rangers.
The injured were being shifted to Upper Kohistan District Headquarter Hospital, officials said.
A senior police officer told
Dawn.com that it was unclear what had caused the incident, adding that mobile networks are not functional in the area which was making it difficult to get information.
"At the moment we are not clear what exactly happened, whether it is blast or an accident," the official said, adding that once police complete initial investigation, the situation will become clear.
He said KP police chief Moazzam Ansari has left for Upper Kohistan on a helicopter.
Meanwhile, the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda), did not clear the nature of the incident either. In a statement, it termed the incident an "accident".
The Wapda spokesman did confirm that employees of a Chinese company were travelling in the bus, adding that rescue efforts were under way at the site of the incident and the injured were being shifted to a hospital.
The spokesperson added that the Wapda chairperson had left for Dasu to oversee the rescue work.
This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.
