Massive Landslide Buries Trucks, Kills At Least Two People In Pakistan

Rescuers work at the site of a landslide in northwestern Pakistan near the Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan on April 18. At least two people died in the incident as dozens of trucks that that were waiting to cross the border were buried under the rubble. 

Officials say the massive landslide was triggered by lightning amid heavy rains.

People carry the body of a victim killed in the landslide.

Officials said more than 100 firefighters and rescuers were taking part in the operation to save truck drivers and other people who were trapped by the debris.
 

The body of a victim is seen trapped in a damaged vehicle.

 

A police official, Ishrat Khan, said the injured were being transported to a nearby hospital. Volunteers also joined the search for survivors as authorities dispatched heavy machinery to Torkham to try to clear the massive mudslide, Khan said.

At least one truck caught fire when it was struck by lightning, rescuers said.

Rescue workers and people search for survivors next to a damaged supply vehicle.

Rescue workers and onlookers stand around a damaged supply vehicle.

People remove a rock slab as they continue to search for survivors.

The Torkham border crossing -- a vital commercial artery and a trade route for Pakistan to Central Asian countries -- was recently closed by the Afghan Taliban after Islamabad accused Kabul of providing a safe haven for Pakistani Taliban militants.