ISLAMABAD, Oct 16: A Pakistani helicopter crashed during a rescue operation in Azad Kashmir killing six troops on board just as the country needs its full fleet of choppers to cope with its worst disaster, the military said Sunday.

“There were six people on board. They are all dead,” Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan told AFP. He said it was unclear if the crash was due to a mechanical accident or poor weather.

It was the first aid helicopter to crash since the beginning of the relief operation to save the millions of destitute from the Oct 8 quake

The Mi-17 went missing at around noon on Saturday northeast of Bagh in Azad Kashmir. The military found the wreckage, including the bodies of four military officers and two technicians around 1:30 am, Sultan said.

“The crash will not affect the relief operation,” Sultan later said on state television.

Pakistan has been facing a shortage of helicopters to airlift relief goods to the devastated areas spread over more than 20,000 square kilometres.

“There are 54 helicopters in operation currently, including 15 helicopters from three countries, the United States, Germany and Afghanistan,” Sultan said.

A US embassy official said 10 US helicopters were in operation with more than 20 that are in the pipeline possibly coming this week.

Three helicopters from Japan arrived Saturday and Sunday near Islamabad and will be in service soon after consultations with the Pakistan Air Force, a Japanese embassy spokesman said.