3 Pak Army officers, 3 jawans martyred in rescue copter crash

ISLAMABAD—Six soldiers including four officers of the Pakistan Army have been killed in a helicopter crash while performing relief activities in Azad Kashmir.
Pak army helicopter Mi-17 which had gone missing Saturday night during relief operation in AJK city of Bagh crashed at Chapri at 1:30 am. All 6 Pak army soldiers and officers were killed in the crash, DG ISPR Maj .Gen Shaukat Sultan said.
Three martyred officers have been identified as senior pilot Lt. Col. Roghani, senior pilot Captain Rahim and Major Umar Baig Mirza.
Maj. Gen Shaukat Sultan said the helicopter most probably crashed due to inclement weather however investigations are being held into the incident.
This is the first aid helicopter to crash since the beginning of the relief operation to save the millions of destitute from the October 8 earthquake that killed more than 38,000 people in Pakistan.
“The Mi-17 helicopter crashed during daytime on Saturday, when it went to provide relief items in some inaccessible areas in the Bagh valley,” Major General Shaukat Sultan told reporters.
“When it was heading to Haji Peer Pak, which is a very difficult mountainous area, we lost contact with it,” he said. The debris of the helicopter was found at 1:30 am on Sunday (2030 GMT on Saturday) he said and added that six soldiers killed in the crash were Pakistan Army officers.
Sultan said it was not immediately clear whether the helicopter crashed because of bad weather or some technical fault. Flights were severely disrupted on Saturday by heavy rains and cloudy weather. Bad weather was continuing on Sunday.
A fleet of helicopters, including some provided by US forces based in neighbouring Afghanistan, has been ferrying emergency food supplies, medical aid and tents into the worst-hit areas of Kashmir and adjoining North West Frontier Province.—PR