Pakistan Official: NATO Tanker Blast Kills At Least 15

PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- A Pakistani official says a tanker carrying oil for NATO forces in Afghanistan exploded in northwestern Pakistan as people were apparently trying to take some of its fuel. At least 15 people died in the explosion.

Local administrator Abdul Nabi Khan says the incident occurred early Saturday in the Landi Kotal area of Khyber tribal region.

According to Khan, at first, the tanker caught fire. After it appeared the blaze was under control, people tried to take the tanker's fuel. Then the blast occurred.

Separately, in the Torkham area of Khyber at the Afghan border, 14 NATO tankers were damaged in a bombing. No one was hurt.

Many vehicles carrying supplies for Western troops in Afghanistan travel through Pakistan.

Comments

[GaddafisAHero]

06:01 PM on 05/21/2011

When the U.S. leaves Afghanistan, the Taliban will return to power by force or by the fact that most Afghans want a Muslim government, they will probably destroy every mark of the American occupation.

[xMoonWalkerx]

02:26 PM on 05/22/2011

.. and every mark of civilization and replace it with their primitive islamist ideology.

[Boduognat]

10:56 AM on 05/30/2011

The USA is responsible for between 1 and three million casualties in Vietnam alone (not mentioned Cambodia or laos), and more than 1 million people in Iraq. (Remember Madeleine Allbright take credit for the death of 500.000 Iraqi children).

On top of that, the USA has dropped two nuclear bombs over Japan.

What kind of civilization are you actually referring to?

[Boduognat]

12:06 PM on 05/30/2011

The USA is responsible for the death of about 3 million people in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

They dropped two nuclear bombs on civilian targets in Japan.

According to the Lancet, the most prestigious medical magazine, 1 million Iraqis have perished as a result of the invasion by the infamous "Coalition of the Willing".

Exactly, what civilisation were you talking about??

[ahjuci]

02:29 PM on 05/21/2011

For the billions in aid the least we could INSIST on is a guaranteed secure route for the supplies to our forces in Afghanistan,

OR ELSE !

[Susan Shaffer]

07:56 PM on 05/29/2011

everyday there are threats about stopping the aid
lets not call it aid, call it a toll. that way the congressmen and women are not confused about what they are discussing.

[ocean55]

01:42 PM on 05/21/2011

More human and material losses over a ridiculous and endless war. Innocent lives lost anywhere are deplorable and naturally newsworthy. But the MSM habitually does not report on the high attrition rates that these attacks on a long supply line are taking on the US and its allies. The public needs to know and see in order to stay focused and try to forced an end to this.

[Left of Right]

01:10 PM on 05/21/2011

The BBC says it was a blast from a bomb attack (Taliban most likely) and people rushed out of their homes to try and get the fuel:

"Local official Shafeerullah Wazir said the tanker was hit by a small bomb in the early hours of the morning.

"The oil tanker caught fire after a blast caused by a small bomb before dawn," the AFP news agency quoted him as saying.

"Villagers from nearby houses rushed and started collecting oil coming out of the destroyed tanker after the fire had been extinguished.

'Suddenly the fire erupted again and at least 15 people including five young boys who had been collecting oil in their buckets were burnt to death.' "

[Susan Shaffer]

07:58 PM on 05/29/2011

this region has been invaded for eons
it is not the first time people tried to take oil away in anything they could lay their hands on
it is patently clear that americans have no idea of what they are dealing with

[TrucosR4Ninos]

12:46 PM on 05/21/2011

Thanks Pakistan for letting us know.

[Left of Right]

01:04 PM on 05/21/2011

No they are not our ally, but we can't leave them alone--they are a weak govt surrounded by terrorists that want to get their hands on those 100 nuclear weapons. They also have Madrassa's along the border that are factories for cranking out hate-to-America students. That tap needs to be turned off. They are only teaching the Koran + hate, no even the 3 R's or history, or science. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/saudi/analyses/madrassas.html

If we can somehow foster change, the U.S. and the rest of the world would be much safer. I would think we could do that with a strategic ambassador-type program, and not "boots on the ground." We should come home. But no, we can't just leave them to themselves and stay safe.

[beauwulff]

02:13 PM on 05/21/2011

They're not our ally AND we don't need them for anything. Let the neighbors (India, China, the 'stans) deal with their lunacy. All Pakistan needs to know is that it risks being turned into a charcoal pit if it ever uses its nukes in a war or "gifts" its nuke technology to terrorists.

[ras2000]

01:20 PM on 05/21/2011

We need to leave AFPAK now;the mission for going into Afghanistan was to get OBL and that
has finally been accomplished. Let AFPAK go back to the stone age.

[Sh00Fly]

04:13 AM on 05/22/2011

No, it is all of al qa'ida and radical extremists that we are battling. That's also who has attacked us.

[SamEllison]

11:48 AM on 05/21/2011

Long supply lines? Whose idea was this?
Talk about good-whatever after bad!

[Ergon]

01:38 PM on 05/21/2011

If we invade countries half way around the world, expect long supply lines.

[AkronGuy]

02:27 PM on 05/21/2011

And if we invade land-locked countries, expect long supply lines through unfriendly territory.

[Dev Saha]

11:38 AM on 05/21/2011

Time to abandon Pakistan and support an independent Balochistan. It will give US access to Afghanistan without having to a Pakistani toll. Pakistan has already sold itself to China.The helicopter wreckage (Osama mission) is already in Chinese hands.

[SukiTheCat]

11:04 PM on 05/21/2011

totally

[Susan Shaffer]

07:21 PM on 05/29/2011

funny cause i read that pakistan has agreed to hand back the wreckage of the stealth helicopter to usa

[Rude Monk]

10:43 AM on 05/21/2011

Fuel for the miltary.Food for the miltary.
These are basically parasites who take from us the regular citizens and squander it in that hole called afghnstn.
When the fuel and food riots are erupting in the US,politicians will be very (or act) surprised.

[rda1911]

10:50 AM on 05/21/2011

Hope and change baby yes we can!

[Blackwing]

10:00 AM on 05/21/2011

And the waste continues.

[firehorse1200]

09:33 AM on 05/21/2011

Pakistan's ISI has long played duplicitous games. Rightest elements have no interst in democracy.

[Ben Dubya]

08:07 AM on 05/21/2011

They've been hitting those supplies now for a while. What a waste of fuel.

[Odeemgawa]

07:22 AM on 05/21/2011

Hey Bama, need more proof? We're never going to get this place under any sort of western influence...give it up!

[frank day]

07:49 AM on 05/21/2011

What does Alabama have to do with this?

[okim5150]

09:31 AM on 05/21/2011

Hey, Bush fought (or more correctly ignored) that war for six years. It's going to take time to turn that around.

[LouGots]

05:19 AM on 05/21/2011

Ripping off fuel from burning tank truck: sounds like mass Darwin award material.

[1question]

07:07 AM on 05/21/2011

Is it possible that Pakistan's intelligence services have begun a secret "war" with the US...

[barnowl]

07:25 AM on 05/21/2011

Maybe. Maybe Pakistan will get serious about rooting out the right wing elements in their military.
Pakistan is an illustration of how a weak government puts all citizens at the mercy of a radical element.

[cybersense]

10:13 AM on 05/21/2011

They have enough problems with the Taliban, starting an intelligence war w/US is unnecessary.

[Enock Zamora]

03:25 AM on 05/21/2011

This is not the first time that our NATO tanker's have been raided or destroyed and won't be the last. When our veteran's start returning home this year, it will be a welcome sight and then the Pakistan's can go duck hunting with Dick Cheney.