Sunday, May 22, 2011

Blasts in NATO trucks kill 16

Peshawar—A couple of explosions in NATO trucks in Khyber Agency killed up to sixteen people while equal number of twenty wheelers ensuring oil supplies to NATO forces in Afghanistan were also burnt to ashes.

There were conflicting reports about the nature of the explosion. Some reports say the vehicle was blasted with the help of explosive material.

Officials say a NATO oil tanker caught fire in Landi Kotal Khyber agency on the night between Friday and Saturday and while rescue activities were in progress huge explosion took place in a near by tanker which killed around six people on the spot while more than dozens received serious wounds and were rushed to hospital where 10 more succumbed to their injuries raising the number of deaths to 16.

Independent sources said the militants torched a NATO oil tanker in Khugiakhel area on the Landi Kotal bypass. “The tanker was parked on the roadside when it was dynamited with a time device adding six people died immediately after the incident while injured were taken to hospitals where 10 more succumbed to their injuries”, they said.

It was also said that a number of people had gathered around a damaged tanker to retrieve the leaking oil when a blast took place in the vehicle killing and seriously wounding many people.

Locals say all those killed and injured were relatives. Eight of the dead were of a single family and belonged to Khugiakhel clan of Shinwari tribe.

Earlier, moments before this incident another NATO twenty wheeler was torched in Torkham in Khyber agency and the huge fire immediately engulfed a dozen more oil tankers parked closed by and were reduced to aches.

The administration had, immediately halted NATO supplies through Torkham and the traffic remained suspended for many hours. The suspended NATO supplies to Afghanistan were, however, restored Saturday.