Blast in Pakistani truck at Attari

A blast in a tanker from Pakistan carrying chemicals led to panic Wednesday at the integrated check post (ICP) at Attari, 30 km from here.

Police sources said that the chemicals-laden truck had arrived Wednesday morning from Pakistan and was near the ICP on the Indian side of the border, when a sudden blast took place. The truck was completely burnt in the fire that engulfed the vehicle.

Though no casualties were reported, a wall of the ICP was damaged after the blast.

Senior officers of the Border Security Force (BSF), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Amritsar district administration rushed to the spot after the blast.

The movement of trucks from Pakistan side was stopped immediately after the incident. Police officials said the whole area was being sanitized.

Forensic experts rushed to the spot to carry out a detailed inspection of the blast site.

The ICP is a major centre of trade between India and Pakistan along the Attari-Wagah border between both countries.

Scores of trucks from both countries cross the international border everyday to unload products at the ICP on either side of the border.