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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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.