Accra: A Pakistani military helicopter crashed in the mountainous north of the country, resulting in the deaths of all five crew members on board, officials reported. This tragic incident marks the second helicopter crash in the region within a month.
According to Ghana News Agency, the helicopter was on a rescue mission in response to recent floods in the Diamer area of the Gilgit-Baltistan region, which is near Pakistan’s border with China. Regional government spokesman Faizullah Faraq stated that an inquiry has been initiated to determine the cause of the crash, with initial assessments suggesting a technical fault.
The crash comes just weeks after another similar incident occurred in the north-western region of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, where bad weather led to a helicopter crash that also claimed the lives of five crew members. The recent floods in Pakistan, exacerbated by erratic monsoon rains, have resulted in more than 850 fatalities.
Pakistan, with a population exceeding 240 million, is identified by the United Nations as one of the most vulnerable nations to the effects of climate change. Each year, climate-induced disasters lead to the deaths of hundreds of people in the country, while thousands more are displaced from their homes and lose their livelihoods.