TAXILA: At least seven people were killed and one was injured in various parts of Attock, police and rescue sources said.

In the first incident, five persons from the same family were burnt to death on Hazara Motorway (M-15) near Jehri Kass interchange in the early hours of Sunday.

National Highway and Motorway Police (NHMP) sources said the family belonging to Bannu were heading towards Haripur in their van when it caught fire apparently due to short circuit at Kalla Katha Range.

As a result, all on board the vehicle were burnt to death. On getting information, Rescue 1122 launched an operation and shifted the bodies to the hospital.

In the second incident, two friends drowned in a stream near Jand on Sunday.

Quoting witnesses, police and hospital sources said Javaid, 18, and his 19-year-old friend Ramzan had gone to a stream for bathing.

Ramzan lost his balance and started to drown. On seeing his friend, Javaid went to rescue him, but he too lost balance as a result of which both drowned. Later local volunteers retrieved the bodies and shifted them to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Jand.

Separately, a man was shot and injured while resisting a robbery in Khagwani village in the limits of Hazro police station.

Sources said Dilnawaz Khan was travelling on his motorcycle when two armed robbers intercepted him. When they snatched cash and valuables from him at gunpoint, he tried to overpower them but one of the robbers shot him and escaped with the looted items.

The injured were shifted to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Hazro.

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2023