BAJAUR: A man was killed in an alleged explosion inside a vehicle in the Mandal area of Salarzai tehsil here on Saturday, police and residents said.

They said the explosion reportedly occurred near the Mandal River.

The pick-up vehicle was on its way to Mandal when the explosion occurred as it reached the Mandal River, residents told Dawn. They added that a man inside the vehicle died on the spot after the vehicle caught fire following the blast.

Police confirmed the incident and said a team of the bomb disposal squad rushed to the scene to determine the cause and nature of the explosion. They cordoned off the locality to collect evidence about the incident, Mansoor Khan, a spokesperson for the district police, told Dawn.

The official said an investigation was underway to ascertain the cause and nature of the explosion, saying the vehicle was badly damaged in the incident.

According to police and residents, the body, which could not be identified as most parts were burned, was recovered from the damaged vehicle after several hours of effort.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2026