Five killed as Pakistani Army helicopter crashes in Pak-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan

Islamabad, Sep 1 (IANS) A Pakistani government helicopter crashed in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan's Diamer district on Monday, killing all five crew members on board, local media reported, quoting officials.

According to officials cited by the leading Pakistani daily, Dawn, the helicopter belonged to the Pakistani Army and went down in Chilas town of Diamer district.

"Reportedly, five casualties occurred due to a crash," Diamer Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Abdul Hameed said in a statement.

The SSP added that the helicopter was carrying out a test landing on a newly-proposed helipad when the incident occurred.

"Diamer police and rescue teams had reached the incident site and started evacuation," he said.

After the accident, the FCNA Commander, DG GB Scouts, Commissioner of Diamer, and many local residents hurried to the location, as rescue teams were actively trying to put out the blaze that errupted in the helicopter, according to local media outlet, Dunya News.

Authorities stated that the cause of the crash had not yet been determined but pointed to the possibility of a "technical failure."

Information officer Faraq termed the crash "regrettable" and extended condolences over the deaths.

Local leader Haji Gulbar Khan also confirmed the crash in a statement, "(The) Army Aviation helicopter crashed in the Hadar area of Diamer due to a technical fault."

He directed officials to impose an emergency at Chilas Hospital and ordered medical staff to remain on immediate duty.

This tragedy comes just weeks after another army helicopter crash in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Bajaur district earlier this month, in which two pilots and three crew members were killed.

That helicopter had been dispatched with relief supplies in the aftermath of flash flooding in the region.

In 2024, at least six people lost their lives and eight others were critically injured when a helicopter belonging to a petroleum company crashed near the Shewa oil field in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's North Waziristan, according to local media reports.

--IANS

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