The Pakistan army confirmed on Wednesday that its Mi-17 helicopter crashed in the northern city of Muzaffarabad, resulting in the deaths of all personnel on board. The incident occurred during take-off and was attributed to a technical fault, according to a statement from the army's media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
Rescue and recovery teams promptly reached the crash site. The army has ordered a board of inquiry to determine the exact technical cause of the accident. The ISPR stated, "All personnel on board embraced shahadat [martyrdom]," without specifying the number of casualties. It added, "There were no survivors."
This is not the first such incident. In September last year, an army aviation helicopter crashed in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, killing all five people on board. In August 2025, a government helicopter carrying relief supplies to the flood-hit northwestern Bajaur region crashed due to bad weather, also killing all five occupants. Additionally, in September 2024, six people died when another helicopter crashed due to engine failure in northwestern Pakistan.
The Chief of Defense Forces, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, expressed deep grief over the loss of lives and extended condolences to the bereaved families.
