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Death toll rises to eight after landslide at Afghanistan-Pakistan border crossing
The death toll from a massive landslide earlier this week that buried a convoy of trucks waiting to cross from Pakistan into Afghanistan has risen to eight, AFP reported on Saturday.
Tuesday’s pre-dawn landslide hit the Torkham border post, the busiest trade and transit point between the two countries, as more than 100 trucks were waiting to cross.
“So far we have recovered seven dead bodies,” said Pakistani rescue services spokesperson Bilal Faizi, adding that “an operation is ongoing to recover an eighth body” from the debris.
A total of 20 trucks were buried in the accident in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, with rescue services initially reporting two deaths.
The brunt of the slide hit around 120 meters from the main border crossing, causing fires as drivers were cooking meals on gas hobs ahead of daylight fasting during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
“Our workers are close to the eighth dead body, they can see it,” said Faizi. “We had removed 60 percent of the debris, but yesterday another landslide occurred in the same area so the rescue operation was delayed.”
District deputy commissioner Abdul Nasir Khan confirmed the death toll and said road traffic had resumed on Thursday.
The cause of the landslide was not clear in the immediate aftermath, but one official said Tuesday that heavy machinery had been in use for months on an expansion project in the hills surrounding the border post.
Torrential overnight rain may also have contributed, the official said.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has announced that it will continue providing its essential health services to the people of Afghanistan.
In a post on X, the organization, referring to Afghanistan’s health needs, said that over the past year it has been active in various health sectors across the country, ranging from maternal and child care to emergency response, as well as the treatment of patients suffering from tuberculosis and severe injuries.
According to MSF, its teams over the past year have been present at a range of health facilities, including neonatal intensive care units, operating theatres, surgical centers, and specialized tuberculosis treatment wards, where they have delivered life-saving services to patients.
The organization stressed that it will continue ensuring the provision of health services, particularly for needy families and vulnerable communities in remote areas of Afghanistan.
The Embassy of Afghanistan in Japan, currently run by diplomats of the previous government, has announced that it will suspend its operations in Tokyo after the end of January 2026.
In a statement issued on Friday, the embassy said the decision was made after consultations with Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in close coordination with Japanese authorities, and in accordance with the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
The embassy added that after January 31, all of its political, economic, cultural, and consular activities will be halted until further notice.
Currently, Shaida Abdali is serving as Afghanistan’s ambassador to Japan.
Sadin Ayyıldız, Chargé d’Affaires of the Turkish Embassy in Kabul, held a courtesy meeting with Zakir Jalali, the Second Political Deputy of Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the occasion of the start of his mission.
The Turkish Embassy in Kabul said in a post that the meeting included mutual exchanges of views on bilateral relations.
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