Pakistan wedding turns to carnage.

BBC News ^ | 06-22-02

[Boonie Rat]

Saturday, 22 June, 2002, 15:13 GMT 16:13 UK

Pakistan wedding turns to carnage

A wedding feast in north-east Pakistan turned to carnage after a mortar shell launched in celebration misfired, killing 21 people, including the bridegroom. More than 40 guests were wounded in the accident, which happened in the village of Korez, 250 kilometres (180 miles) south-west of the border city of Peshawar.

Local officials said guests had been "joyously" firing their weapons in the air in a traditional act of celebration, when one of the groom's relatives loaded the mortar "upside-down".

It exploded prematurely, killing several people outright.

The wounded were taken to a government hospital in Kohat, where some of them died from their injuries, hospital sources said.

Officials said 14 children, women and the 22-year-old bridegroom were among the dead.

Korez is in the lawless region of Orakzai, where tribes are powerful and the government has little influence.

Weapons are freely available on the black market there.

[Boonie Rat]

The Paki's are are "Allies", right?

[Lance Romance]

What kind of backward culture fires mortars at a wedding. Oh yeah, right.

[katana]

Should the Darwin Award be given to the group or only to the mortarman ?

[TADSLOS]

and we worry about throwing rice because it will explode the birds....

[Earl B.]

Paging Mr. Darwin.... Mr. Darwin, please report to the Hindu Kush ...

[JoeGar]

Darwin Award potential!

[Grim]

In America we wait till the honeymoon to fire our mortars.

[Palmetto]

What kind of backward culture fires mortars at a wedding.

The same kind that fires them backwards?

[The Vast Right Wing]

How bout the whole religion.

[Shryke]

ROTFL, this made my day.

I wonder if the dumba$$ in question said "Hey ya'll, check this out!" in Paki?

[katana]

Yeah, I'd go for that. Of course, we'll have to figure out how to keep them from reproducing. Hmmmmmm.

[SandfleaCSC]

Well, at least now I know what to get for a gift if I ever get invited to any Muslim weddings. I will however, be seated in the far back of the mosque during the event...or maybe a foxhole if I can find one.

[SandfleaCSC]

Hey Mahkmuud, hold my Budweiser and watch this........Muslims don't drink alcohol so this guy did it sober...twice as stupid.

[SGCOS]

"Abdana, hold my curry wine while I load this puppy up"

[Lee'sGhost]

Wow! This has got to be the Darwin award winner for '02.

[TADSLOS]

I wonder if it was a PD or VT fuse? I guess it doesn't matter, though, since they dropped it in the tube upside down...

[mhking]

when one of the groom's relatives loaded the mortar "upside-down"

"Here! Hold muh beer 'n watch this!

[exnavy]

Hold my beer, watch this...

[BossLady]

"Weapons are freely available on the black market there."

Apparently, no instruction manuals or training is mandatory with the freely available weapons.

NEW Business Venture in Pakistan: Wedding Insurance. (Available with 'Loss and Damage Waiver' but not recommended.)