November 3, 2003	Monday	Ramazan 7, 1424

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LANDI KOTAL, Nov 2: Seven people died late Saturday when a speedy van rammed into a stationary truck near the Pakistan-Afghan border of Torkham.

Two persons died on the spot and five succumbed to their injuries in a Peshawar hospital late on Saturday night and Sunday morning.

The driver of the van is said to have lost control over the vehicle carrying some 22 passengers when it was heading for Landi Kotal from Torkham an hour before Iftar.

Staff of the Edhi Centre at Torkham and the Khasadar force shifted the dead and injured to the Agency Headquarters Hospital. The pick-up was completely damaged in the accident.

Deceased Sher Rahman and Lal Math belonged to Landi Kotal and the five who breathed their last later in the Peshawar hospital were Afghan nationals whose names could not be ascertained. The Afghan nationals were later shifted to their country for burial.

The accident was second of its type near Torkham. Five people, including an Afghan lady doctor, lost their lives when a seven-seater coaster skidded off the road while overtaking a another vehicle on Oct 27.

ROAD BLOCKED: Protesting Nikkikhel tribesmen blocked the Peshawar-Landi Kotal highway on Saturday for several hours, demanding an end to armed clash between Nikkikhel and Karamnawal tribesmen.

The Nikkikhel and Karamnawal tribesmen are engaged in a heavy gunbattle for over last 10 days on a property dispute.

Due to use of heavy arms by both sides a number of private houses and a primary school have so far been hit by stray mortar shells.

The Landi Kotal political authorities last week constituted a Jirga to help negotiate a settlement of the dispute but the jirga failed to reach to any conclusion. Both the tribes were using heavy weapons against each other.