5 killed as army helicopter crashes in northern Pakistan

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - At least five people were killed after an army aviation helicopter crashed in northern Pakistan on Monday, a government spokesperson said.

The helicopter crashed in the Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region, killing all five crew members on board, Faizullah Firaq, Gilgit-Baltistan’s government spokesperson, told Anadolu by telephone.

He said the helicopter was being used by the Gilgit-Baltistan government for relief and rescue missions following the recent rains and floods in the region.

Firaq added that there were two pilots and three technical staff on board the aircraft.

The helicopter was conducting a test landing on a newly proposed helipad.

Rescue teams had reached the site of the crash and started their operations.

There was no immediate word on the cause of the crash, though the Gilgit-Baltistan government spokesperson cited a “technical failure.”