Death toll in Chilas Bus firing rises to 10 as JIT constituted

GILGIT: Another man, who sustained bullet injuries in a “terrorist” attack on a passenger bus in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Chilas, succumbed to injuries on Tuesday, raising the death toll in the incident to 10, ARY News reported.

At least 10 people, including two soldiers, lost their lives, and 21 passengers received injuries when unknown attackers opened fire at the Rawalpindi-bound bus from nearby hills in Chilas, causing the vehicle to collide with a goods truck.

GB Minister Interior Shams Lone said the driver of the bus panicked following the shooting and stepped up the speed of his vehicle which led to its collision with the truck.

In a statement today, the police said the man – identified as truck conductor – was undergoing treatment in Abbottabad complex, but did not survive. The truck conductor’s death raised the toll to 10.

Furthermore, the police said two, including a woman, out of 25 injured citizens are in serious condition. The injured woman was shifted to Gilgit Hospital in critical condition, they added.

Meanwhile, a joint investigation team (JIT) has been constituted to probe the “terrorist” attack on a passenger bus in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Chilas. The committee will be headed by Superintendent of Police (SP) Sher Khan.

The police and security forces have detained around one and a half dozen suspects – which are being interrogated by the investigation team.

A day earlier, the police lodged First Information Report (FIR) of the firing at a passenger bus in Chilas town in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).

Local police confirmed the development and said that an FIR was lodged under different sections including terrorism into the Chilas bus firing incident.

The GB chief minister announced Rs1 million compensation for the martyrs in the bus firing incident, Rs500,000 for seriously wounded people and Rs300,000 for those who sustained minor injuries.