TARIQ SAEED PESHAWAR Dozens of labourers are feared dead and injured as a landslide in Buner District of Malakand division Saturday morning resulted in a caving in of the marble mine. The district administration has confirmed death of at least ten people and injuries to equal number of others, death toll is feared to go higher as still over twenty people were trapped under tons of debris. Some reports said the landsliding was caused by an explosion inside the mine. The DPO Buner, confirming the incident, said that rescue operation was underway to retrieve the trapped under the debris. He said that nine dead bodies and six injured were retrieved. He said that five dead bodies and injured have been shifted to district headquarters hospital Dagar. Hospital sources said that three of the injured were referred to a hospital in Peshawar in critical condition. Locals on the other hand said around 30 were trapped under debris after landsliding in Marble mine in Bampukha Buner. The death toll in Buner landsliding incident so far is nine, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority said. Heavy machinery and rescue vehicles have been sent to Buner, PDMA Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said in a statement. “The relief and rescue operation is underway to retrieve the people trapped under the rubble”. Deputy Commissioner Buner said adding two injured have been sent to Peshawar for medical attendance. Emergency has been declared at District Headquarters Hospital, Daggar. Meanwhile, the Counter-Terrorism Department, Peshawar, Saturday claimed to have killed five alleged terrorists in what was said to be a search operation in the outskirts of provincial metropolis. The CTD killed five terrorists during a search operation after both sides exchanged fire. Officials claimed a security operation had been conducted at the Shagai area after information was received about the militants’ whereabouts. However, there was no word from the law enforcers about loss of life during the shootout. Explosive material and weapons were recovered from militants. It said three suicide vests, two pistols, two hand grenades and three SMGs were recovered. The terrorists had arrived in the area from the Mullagori district. IG Sanaullah Abbasi said police will continue to conduct operations against militants and purge the region from the miscreants at all costs.
