KHYBER: While the death toll in Tuesday’s landslide near Torkham border reached seven on Friday when rescue workers retrieved two more bodies buried under mounds of rubble, a major portion of the hillside slid on Friday at the site of the cleanup operation.

The latest landslide caused no fatalities as Rescue 1122 staff had suspended their operations and had also removed heavy machinery from the site. The rescue operation was later restarted.

Rescue officials said that all the dead belonged to Afghanistan and their bodies were handed over to their relatives. As many as 15 more persons, mostly drivers had sustained injuries in the incident and all of them were discharged from hospital after provision of first aid.

The rescuers, however, insisted that the cleanup operation would continue till all the buried vehicle were retrieved under the rubble and the road clear of all rocks and mud accumulated after the landslide.

Sugar bags

Local volunteers disclosed that a huge quantity of sugar was recovered from the buried vehicles, which were supposed to be carrying cement to Afghanistan.

They said a large number of sugar bags were concealed under the cement bags while the vehicle was duly cleared by the scanning machine operated by the National Logistic Cell prior to its crossing over to Afghanistan.

Ban on fireworks

Meanwhile, the district administration on Friday imposed a ban on fireworks, toy guns and one-wheeling and some other activities throughout Khyber with an immediate effect.

A notification issued from Khyber House said that Section 144 would remain in place for at least 10 days during which there would be a complete ban on firing into the air, fireworks, carrying of toy guns, use of toy horns, one wheeling on motorcycles and making any fire in hills, parks or other recreation facilities during Eid-ul-Fitr.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2023