Death toll from Mohmand Marble quarry collapse increases to 22

The death toll from a rockslide in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Mohmand district rose to 22 after more bodies were recovered from the rubble by rescue officials.

According to Rescue 1122 director general, search for at least five people is still underway.

“An operation to rescue those trapped underneath the rubble is currently underway. Five ambulances and one recovery vehicle have been sent to Mohmand from Peshawar,” according to the PDMA director general.

He added that the authority was closely coordinating with the district administration and the relevant departments.

“Usually a large number of people work in these marble mines but luckily a majority had finished work and returned home,” he said.

A district administration official had quoted locals as saying that at least 25 people were missing after the rockslide. The remote area does not have mobile and internet coverage, the official had added.

Rescue 1122 had said its Mohmand team was carrying out a search operation to find the missing people, adding that additional personnel had been dispatched to the area from Peshawar and Charsadda

Besides search and rescue tools, heavy machinery and ambulances were taking part in the operation, the rescue service had added.