At least 12 people, including a minimum of nine Chinese nationals and two Pakistani soldiers, have died after the bus they were traveling in plunged into a ravine during a remote region of northern Pakistan, officials said.
The Pakistani foreign ministry said the bus fell into the ravine within the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province following a mechanical failure leading to leakage of gas that caused a blast.
“According to preliminary reports, nine Chinese nationals and three Pakistanis lost their lives. Chinese workers and accompanying Pakistani staff were proceeding to their workplace for an ongoing project,” said the statement.
“The local authorities are providing all possible assistance to the injured.”
A senior administrative officer of the Hazara region told Reuters press agency the bus was carrying over 30 Chinese engineers to the location of the Dasu dam in Upper Kohistan.
China involves probe
China has condemned the blast and asked Pakistan to thoroughly investigate the attack, the Chinese foreign ministry said.
Beijing asked Pakistan to guard the security of Chinese personnel, institutions, and projects, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a daily news briefing on Wednesday.
In its statement, the Pakistani foreign ministry said it “is closely in touch with the Chinese Embassy for coordination and facilitation”.
“Pakistan and China are close friends and iron-brothers,” said the statement.
“Pakistan attaches great importance to safety and security of Chinese nationals, projects, and institutions in Pakistan.”
The Dasu hydroelectric project is a component of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a $65bn investment plan under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative that’s aimed toward connecting western China to the Gwadar seaport in southern Pakistan.
Chinese engineers alongside Pakistani construction workers are performing on the Dasu hydroelectric and other projects for several years within the region where the blast happened .
