5 crew members martyred as army helicopter crashes in Gilgit-Baltistan

Five crew members, including two pilots, were martyred after an army helicopter crashed in Diamer district’s Chilas town on Monday after developing a technical fault, the military's media wing said.

In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the incident occurred at around 10am near Hudor village, about 12 kilometres from Thakdas Cantonment. The helicopter was on a routine training flight when it encountered a technical problem and went down.

The crew on board included Pilot-in-Command Major Atif, Co-Pilot Major Faisal, Flight Engineer Naib Subedar Maqbool, and Crew Chiefs Havaldar Jahangir and Naik Amir. All five lost their lives in the crash, according to the ISPR.

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"Training missions are part of routine activities of Army Aviation to maintain operational readiness for performing tasks varying from operational support to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief," read the statement.

Diamer Senior Superintendent of Police Abdul Hameed had earlier said the helicopter was attempting a test landing on a newly proposed helipad when the accident occurred. He confirmed that police and rescue teams immediately reached the site and began evacuation operations.

Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan expressed grief over the loss of lives and directed authorities to impose an emergency at Chilas Hospital, ensuring the availability of medical staff.