China will dispatch a task force to Pakistan to jointly investigate the deadly blast that killed nine Chinese nationals, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Thursday.
China Global Television Network (CGTN) reported that Zhao urged the Pakistani government to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel and the security of projects.
Nine Chinese and three Pakistani nationals were killed and 39 others injured on Wednesday when there was an explosion on a bus in the Upper Kohistan district of Pakistan’s northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong visited the injured Chinese nationals at a military hospital in Rawalpindi on Wednesday night, extending the care and concern of the Chinese government and people to the injured and wishing them a quick recovery.
The blast took place on a shuttle vehicle of the Dasu Hydropower Project, which a Chinese company is contracted to build, as it headed to the construction site in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The injured were taken to the military hospital via helicopters dispatched by the Pakistani military on Wednesday.
Stressing the need for an in-depth investigation into the incident, Nong said if it is a man-made incident or an incident related to terrorism, the perpetrators must be brought to justice.
The ambassador also warned that the Chinese nationals, enterprises, projects and institutions in Pakistan should step up security.
