Attabad: Passengers injured due to a blast
Our Correspondent
Attabad, July 17: As many as 16 boat passengers, including 4 foreigners (3 Koreans, 1 Japanese), 6 traders from Punjab, 4 MBBS students from Punjab and 2 boat operators, have been injured as a result of a blast carried out by FWO at around 09:30pm during construction of a road near spillway of the dammed Hunza River. According to one account the passengers were hit by landslide caused by the blast while they were walking in middle of the night on debris of the Attabad landslide which now serves as spillway of the dammed river.
However, other sources say that the people were injured when stones fell in their boat after the blast.
Official sources have informed that the district administration had banned movement of boats in the region in view of the blasting activity. An official told the media that strict action will be taken against the boat operator who defied the ban and put lives of the passengers in danger. The boat was reportedly coming from Gulmit carrying more than 15 passengers.
The injured have been shifted to Aliabad hospital where majority are said to be out of danger.
FWO should install a Hooter system to warn people before blasts and also give advance warnings. Blasting at night in any case is not right and should not take place.
This is very sad
it is not one side negligence FWO is an organized and well aware of the dangers and risks why it is doing blast in the dark night ? why not any warning or signal of the danger? but we are blaming the passengers and travelers. it is all fault of the administration at the spillway. lives of the poor passengers must be ensured.
The civil administration had already informed the authorities that no boat will operate on that day. We as a nation have never failed to grab the right culprit but this time it will not be the case. Its easy to blame FWO but had the Chinese been working here, no individual would have the courage to say anything since it is very much evident the way they are constructing the KKH
All involved are responsible for this incident. Local administration should have deputed some personnel (in this case some cops) to control the traffic; and FWO should have posted some people on both sides of the lake to check the movements, and the boat operators are also guilty of defying the ban knowingly or unknowingly.