On Tuesday (04), a fire engulfed the camp of a Chinese company responsible for overseeing the construction of a remote hydropower dam in north-western Pakistan, officials said.
Under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) investment scheme, Beijing has invested billions of dollars in Pakistan since 2015.
Despite continued threats from Pakistani militants, private companies have flocked to the border to undertake contracts for large-scale infrastructure initiatives.
According to the police, a warehouse complex for the Dasu hydropower project in the Kohistan district of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, located 180 kilometers (110 miles) north of Islamabad, was destroyed in a pre-dawn blaze on Tuesday.
“It was a huge fire,” stated a Rescue 1122 official who was present at the scene.
“Initially, the flames were very high and we had to call for fire brigade vehicles from two other districts.”
“It was quite a big storehouse, and apart from oil drums, stationery and machinery were also stockpiled there. That’s all been destroyed in the fire,” he told AFP.
The construction of the Dasu dam was assigned to China Gezhouba Group Company by Pakistan’s water ministry in 2017. The camp was occupied by Chinese engineers, surveyors, and mechanics; however, neither police nor Rescue 1122 reported any casualties.
An electrical malfunction is suspected to have triggered the fire, as per a police official’s statement. Earlier in July 2021, a bus carrying employees to the Dasu site was bombed, resulting in the deaths of 12 individuals, including nine Chinese laborers, with Beijing claiming it was an intentional attack.
Islamabad initially attributed the explosion to a “gas leak,” but security measures at the location were significantly increased following the incident.
Despite the close economic relations between China and Pakistan, the security of Chinese workers in Pakistan has been a persistent concern for Beijing, as militants who oppose foreign influence often target Chinese nationals.
Following the Taliban’s return to power in neighbouring Afghanistan, Pakistan has witnessed a significant increase in militant attacks in its western regions, which coincidentally are the same areas where China is concentrating its investments.
(With inputs from AFP)
