Five personnel lost their lives on Monday when a Pakistan Army helicopter went down in Chilas, a town in the Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan, officials confirmed.
Diamer SSP Abdul Hameed said the helicopter crashed during a test landing on a newly proposed helipad, resulting in five casualties. Police and rescue teams quickly reached the site to begin evacuation efforts.
While the exact cause of the crash is still under investigation, Gilgit-Baltistan government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq attributed it to a technical fault. He described the incident as “deeply regrettable” and noted that the same helicopter had occasionally been used in relief operations.
GB Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan also confirmed the technical failure, ordering an emergency to be imposed at Chilas Hospital to ensure medical teams were on standby. He extended condolences to the families of the deceased and paid tribute to the fallen soldiers, calling their sacrifice a “source of pride for the nation.”
This tragedy comes just weeks after a rescue helicopter crashed in Bajaur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, during flood relief efforts, killing five on board, including two pilots. In a separate incident last year, six people died and eight others were injured when a private petroleum company’s helicopter crashed near the Shewa oil field in North Waziristan.
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