Bridge on Islamabad-Peshawar motorway blown up

Bridge near Rashakai area in Nowshera partially damaged by a bomb placed underneath.

ISLAMABAD: The Kalpani bridge on Islamabad-Peshawar motorway near the Rashakai area in Nowshera was blown up on Monday by a bomb placed under the bridge.

A bomb-disposal squad reached the spot and is investigating the pieces of the explosive material to discover the type of bomb used for the blast. Officials are speculating that it was a time-bomb.

The bridge, which lies one and a half kilometer from Mardan, was partially damaged and one vehicle is also reportedly damaged, however, no casualities have been reported so far.

The officials say the act could have been done by the locals to express their grudges towards the authorities, as the road has been previously blocked by them in protests against loadshedding.

Traffic on one side of the bridge has been suspended due to security reasons and will not be used for transportation for a couple of weeks till the bridge is reconstructed.