Two killed; cash and valuables looted in separate incidents

Two men electrocuted, over Rs222,000 cash looted from passengers۔

MANSEHRA: Two persons were killed while some others were deprived of cash and valuables in different incidents in Mansehra on Sunday.

In the first incident, a poultry farmer was electrocuted in Namshera Miangan village at Oghi. According to police, Taj Muhammad was repairing an electric switchboard at his workplace, Khan Poultry Farm, when he accidently touched a bare electric wire and fell unconscious after receiving an electric shock. He was taken to a local hospital where doctors pronounced him dead.

In the second incident, Muhammad Zarin of Khaki Union Council died after being stuck by lightening near Maira Bankoti village.

Locals said Zarin was walking his donkey home when it started to rain. As he took shelter under a tree, they got struck by lightening and died on the spot. The locals identified the body and informed the police.

Meanwhile, armed bandits deprived the passengers of cash and valuables worth hundreds of thousands of rupees in a remote area of the Mansehra, police said.

Iftikhar Ahmad, resident of Safaida village told police that he was headed towards his native village in a passenger van when they had to stop near Nara Diki village as the road was littered with stones and wooden logs. He said that no sooner than they faced the blockade, four armed persons held them at gunpoint.

He said that the men snatched Rs52,000 cash, a mobile phone and his national identity card from him, while from his fellow passenger, Iqbal, they took Rs170,000 cash, his mobile phone, driving license and identity card.

The men also snatched jewellery cash, mobile sets and other valuables from two women passengers. According to police, Waqar Ali, Idrees, Ejaz and Akhtar Zeb were among the passengers who were robbed of cash and valuables.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 10^th, 2012.