SWABI, April 18 Three of four bombs planted at a tower of the main 500 KV transmission line of Tarbela Dam went off on Friday night. However the blasts failed to destroy the tower completely.
Local journalists visited the spot on Saturday morning and saw that one of the bombs had failed to go off, which averted a big disaster.
“It is not less than a miracle because in case of complete destruction of the tower, it would cause a big disaster in many regions,” said an official, who was inspecting the blast venue.
“With blasting of the fourth bomb the tower would certainly fell on the ground and it might not only cause the suspension of the power supply to many regions but it would invite a big human disaster because the line passed through various populated regions and there was grave danger to turn into ashes whatever came in its way,” he said.
The main transmission line from the Tarbela Dam has been passing through different regions.
The residents of the area said that the bombs went one after other which shook the whole region, creating fear among them.
A piece of the damaged tower landed in a nearby home but the family members survived because they were sleeping inside rooms.
Police officials said that unidentified terrorists wanted to destroy the main Tarbela Dam supply line which was linked with Peshawar grid station and provided electricity onwards to the Bannu district, Khanzana Sugar Mills and some other regions.
The power supply from Tarbela Dam to the transmission line was stopped soon after the blasts. “There was a state emergency in the power station of Tarbela Dam and the officials were supervising the whole process while remaining in touch with the high-ranking offices of the Wapda,” said an official.
The bomb disposal squad was informed and its personnel receded from Mardan to the spot and defused the unexploded bomb.
They collected samples from the site and took them to the laboratory. Officials of the squad said that weight of each bomb was one and half kilogram.
It was the second major incident in Zaida area of district Swabi. Earlier Zaida police station was targeted and a rocket landed on its premises a few months ago.
