Posted on 08/02/2003 10:21:03 PM PDT by HAL9000
GILGIT, Pakistan — Explosives used for road-building detonated in a northern Pakistani village Sunday, killing 45 people and injuring 150, officials said.
The explosives were in the home of a contractor, Waris Khan, who died in the blast, police official Hussain Khan said. He said the blast was apparently an accident.
The massive explosion happened at 2 a.m., and several homes in the village of Ghair (search) caught fire, Khan said. Many of the 45 killed were women and children, and police were digging through debris searching for more bodies, he said.
Investigators believe a short circuit in the home caused a fire that ignited the explosives, an Interior Ministry official said on condition of anonymity.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.