ISLAMABAD: Nine Chinese nationals and three Pakistanis lost their lives on Wednesday as a bus carrying them plunged into a ravine due to a mechanical failure, resulting in leakage of gas that caused a blast. The Foreign Office confirmed that according to preliminary reports, the Chinese workers in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa and the accompanying Pakistani staff were on their way to the workplace of an ongoing project. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is closely in contact with the Chinese Embassy for coordination and facilitation,” the FO said, adding the local authorities were providing all possible assistance to the injured. The Foreign Office expressed condolences to the families of the Chinese and Pakistani workers. “The government and the people of Pakistan extend sincere condolences to the families of Chinese and Pakistani workers, who lost their lives in the incident. We also pray for quick recovery of the injured,” it said. Pakistan and China are close friends and iron-brothers. Pakistan attaches great importance to safety and security of Chinese nationals, projects and institutions in Pakistan.
