Pakistan Army helicopter crashes near Muzaffarabad due to technical fault: ISPR
Why this matters: local context for readers following news across Pakistan and the region.
An Mi-17 helicopter of Pakistan Army Aviation crashed near Muzaffarabad on Wednesday during take-off “due to a technical fault”, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. “All personnel on board embraced martyrdom. There were no survivors,” the ISPR said in a statement. It added that rescue and recovery teams immediately reached the crash site. “A board of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the exact technical cause of the accident,” the military’s media affairs wing said. Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and all ranks of the army “express deep grief over the tragic loss of precious lives and extend heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families”, the ISPR said. More to follow