The death toll from a massive landslide earlier this week that buried a fleet of trucks waiting to cross from Pakistan into Afghanistan has risen to eight, officials said on April 22. The predawn landslide on April 18 hit the Torkham border post, the busiest trade and transit point between the two countries, as more than 100 trucks were waiting to cross. "So far we have recovered seven dead bodies," said Pakistani rescue services spokesman Bilal Faizi, adding that "an operation is ongoing to recover an eighth body" from the debris.
Afghanistan-Pakistan Border Crossing Landslide Toll Rises To Eight
- By AFP
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Rescuers work at the site of a landslide in northwestern Pakistan near the Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan on April 18. At least two people died in the incident as dozens of trucks that that were waiting to cross the border were buried under the rubble.
Officials say the massive landslide was triggered by lightning amid heavy rains.
Officials say the massive landslide was triggered by lightning amid heavy rains.
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People carry the body of a victim killed in the landslide.
Officials said more than 100 firefighters and rescuers were taking part in the operation to save truck drivers and other people who were trapped by the debris.
Officials said more than 100 firefighters and rescuers were taking part in the operation to save truck drivers and other people who were trapped by the debris.
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A police official, Ishrat Khan, said the injured were being transported to a nearby hospital. Volunteers also joined the search for survivors as authorities dispatched heavy machinery to Torkham to try to clear the massive mudslide, Khan said.
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People remove a rock slab as they continue to search for survivors.
The Torkham border crossing -- a vital commercial artery and a trade route for Pakistan to Central Asian countries -- was recently closed by the Afghan Taliban after Islamabad accused Kabul of providing a safe haven for Pakistani Taliban militants.
The Torkham border crossing -- a vital commercial artery and a trade route for Pakistan to Central Asian countries -- was recently closed by the Afghan Taliban after Islamabad accused Kabul of providing a safe haven for Pakistani Taliban militants.
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