Landslide in Pakistan’s Khyber Pass buries trucks, kills at least two people

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) -A landslide during a thunder and lightning storm on the main road through northwest Pakistan’s Khyber Pass buried more than 20 trucks on Tuesday, killing at least two people, with dozens more feared trapped, officials said.

“Twenty to twenty five containers are buried in the wreckage,” Abdul Nasir Khan, deputy commissioner of the Khyber district, told Reuters. “The wreckage is quite extensive and our rescue operation is continuing with heavy machinery.”

He said two Afghan citizens had been killed, and authorities were trying to recover the bodies. Three other people had been taken to hospital and the number of casualties could rise, he added.

The landslide took place in the early hours of Tuesday on the main route connecting Pakistan with land-locked Afghanistan, a major transit point for trade between the South Asian nations and into Central Asia.

Photos shared by officials showed truck containers mostly buried in huge piles of rocks.

(Reporting by Jibran Ahmad in Peshawar, writing by Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Editing by Robert Birsel and Sonali Paul)