Dozens of trucks trapped after, major landslide hits Pakistan, several trapped

A massive landslide in northwestern Pakistan has disrupted normal life with over dozens of vehicles buried leaving several injured. The ladslide was triggered by lightning during heavy rain which left around 15-20 vehicles buried.Police official Ishrat Khan said as per Associated Press that the authorities are trying to save truck drivers and other people hit by the landslide while Bilal Faizi, a spokesperson for the rescue service said that two bodies were pulled out and eight people were injured. The injured have been taken to a nearby hospital, he added.

“Rescuers are very careful because there is a possibility of another landslide but they are risking their lives to pull out those feared trapped,” Bilal Faizi was quoted as saying. Over 12 ambulances, four fire vehicles, three recovery vehicles and three heavy excavators were deployed at the site for rescue operations. The landslide occurred on the main route connecting the Pakistan-Afghanistan border near Torkham town at 2.30am on Tuesday, according to a statement by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Disaster Management Authority cited by the Dawn newspaper. The border is a key route connecting the Pakistan, Afghanistan and several other Asian countries. Landslides in the area are known to block roads frequently, with the current one being triggered by lightning during heavy rain.