14 killed, several injured in Kurram Agency blast

PARACHINAR: At least 14 people were killed and several others were wounded when a passenger van hit a landmine in Godar area of tribal Kurram Agency on Tuesday morning, officials said.

"Ten people were killed, including a woman and one child," said Shahid Ali Khan, assistant political agent for Kurram Agency in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). 

The death toll reached 14 after four more injured persons succumbed to their wounds.

Earlier it was said the explosion when a remote-controlled device was detonated.

Four of the deceased were Khasadar personnel who were deployed for census duty. 

Doctors at Agency Headquarters Hospital said the condition of three of the injured was critical.

The passenger van was en route from Godar to Sadda area.

Godar is a far-off area of the tribal agency. The route from Godar to Sadda is an unpaved road, from where it takes hours to reach Parachinar.

The injured persons were first taken to the hospital in Sadda, but since no doctors were present there, they were moved to Agency Headquarters Hospital Parachinar.

The M-17 aircraft that has reached Parachinar, will fly some of the injured persons to Peshawar while those who are in a comparatively stable condition will be treated at the agency headquarters hospital.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the blast.

A number of explosions have taken place in Kurram Agency since the year started.

On March 31, a car-bombing outside an imambargah left at least 24 people dead and over 90 injured.

Prior to this, on March 12, a man was injured in a landmine explosion in Borki area of Kurram Agency. Political administration officials in Kurram said the landmine had been planted by unidentified terrorists in a mountainous area of the agency.