All personnel on board a Pakistan military helicopter have been killed in a crash near Muzaffarabad in Pakistani Kashmir, Pakistan’s military said in a statement on Wednesday, without specifying the number of deaths.
“An Mi-17 helicopter of Pakistan Army Aviation crashed near Muzaffarabad today during take-off due to technical fault,” the military said in a statement. “There were no survivors.”
Rescue teams have reached the site and a board of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the exact technical cause of the accident, it said.
The helicopter crashed while taking off and caught fire, a Reuters witness said, adding that firefighters were trying to control the flames.
The ISPR statement further stated that Chief of Defence Forces Syed Asim Munir has expressed grief and condolence on the tragic incident. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and other officials have expressed condolence to the families of the victims.
Read more: Pakistani strikes kill 13 civilians in Afghanistan
Naqvi extended his heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the families of all personnel martyred in the helicopter crash, said, “Our deepest sympathies are with the families of the martyrs”.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to all personnel who were martyred in the incident, saying the entire nation salutes the sacrifices of its brave soldiers.
From Reuters With Additional Input From News Desk
