While initially, the cause behind the Dasu bus incident was unclear, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry has just released the statement that we cannot rule out terrorism just yet.
In a tweet, he said that after the initial investigation, it has now been confirmed that there were traces of explosives at the crash site, which strongly suggests it not being just a mechanical failure.
He said, “Initial investigations into Dassu incident have now confirmed traces of explosives,Terrorism cannot be ruled out, PM is personally supervising all developments,in this regard Govt is in close coordination with Chinese embassy we are committed to fight menace of terrorism together.”
China has also announced that it will help Pakistan probe the blast. Zhao Lijian, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, told a regular briefing that China would cooperate closely with Pakistan in the investigation.
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Initial reports
At least twelve people, including nine Chinese nationals and two Pakistani soldiers, were killed in a blast targeting a bus in a remote region of northern Pakistan on Wednesday, multiple sources told Reuters, adding that the toll could rise.
It was not immediately clear whether the blast resulted from a roadside device or something planted inside the bus.
Initial investigations into Dassu incident have now confirmed traces of explosives,Terrorism cannot be ruled out,PM is personally supervising all developments,in this regard Govt is in close coordination with Chinese embassy we are committed to fight menace of terrorism together
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) July 15, 2021
Inspector General Moazzam Jah Ansari, the top police official of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the province in which the incident occurred, confirmed the death of six Chinese nationals, two soldiers, and two locals.
“The bus plunged into a deep ravine after the blast and caused heavy losses. One Chinese engineer and one soldier are missing. The rescue operation is launched and the entire government machinery has been mobilized to rescue the injured by air ambulance,” a senior government official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
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