ISLAMABAD, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people were killed and four others injured on Monday in a landslide incident in the Gilgit district in the northern region of Pakistan, the local police said.
According to the police, a group of volunteers was busy with restoration work on the flood-affected stream named Danyor in Gilgit, a district in the country's Gilgit-Baltistan region, when the incident happened.
"The victims were part of a community team working to repair a water channel which was badly damaged by recent floods. Unfortunately, mud and rocks from the nearby mountain suddenly collapsed, burying several people under the debris," said the police.
Rescue teams, police and locals rushed to the site and managed to pull out eight bodies and four wounded from the debris.
Bodies and the injured were shifted to the nearby hospital, where two of the wounded were reportedly in critical condition.
Search operations would continue for others feared trapped, said the police, adding that warnings had been issued to the public to keep themselves safe from the sliding areas.
Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan Haji Gulbar Khan expressed deep grief over the tragedy and extended condolences to the bereaved families.
"The sacrifices of these brave volunteers will always be remembered. The government stands with their families in this time of grief," said the chief minister in a statement. ■
