Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s MI-17 helicopter had taken off from Peshawar for Bajaur when contact was lost over Mohmand tribal district, according to initial reports.
At least five on board killed as MI-17 helicopter carrying relief goods crashed on Friday in monsoon-hit northern Pakistan, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province said in a statement.
“An MI-17 helicopter of the provincial government, carrying relief goods for rain-affected areas of Bajaur, crashed in the Pandiyali area of Mohmand district due to bad weather,” Ali Amin Gandapur said in a statement.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s MI-17 helicopter had taken off from Peshawar for Bajaur when contact was lost over Mohmand tribal district, according to initial reports.
Chief Secretary of the province, Shahab Ali Shah, confirmed that poor weather conditions led to the crash.
Over 100 people have died, scores of others injured and several missing as torrential rains lashed the province triggering flash floods and landslides, mainly in Bajaur and Buner districts.
The helicopter went down in Changi Banda, where three people involved in rescue operations and two pilots were confirmed dead.
Authorities also stated that it remains to be determined whether the crash was caused solely by weather or other factors.
Rescue teams have been dispatched to the crash site, and the deceased will be laid to rest with full state honours.
Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, announcing a day of mourning across the province on Saturday.
At least 154 people were killed and several injured as heavy rains lashed several parts of Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir over the past 24 hours, officials said on Friday.
Most of the deaths occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after torrential rains triggered flash floods in various districts, while floods damaged scores of buildings and blocked major arteries, including the Karakoram Highway and Baltistan Highway in Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
A total of 75 people died in Buner district, 17 in Mansehra and 18 each in Bajaur and Batagram districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, local government officials said.
โOver 125 people, including children, have died as the cloud burst followed by flash floods struck parts of the province since Thursday night,โ spokesman for Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Faizi told PTI Friday.
With inputs from PTI