GILGIT: A crew of five died on Monday after an army helicopter crashed in Chilas Town, Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan, due to a “technical fault”, the military’s media wing said in a statement.

“On 1 Sep 25, at around 1000 hours, an MI-17 helicopter crash landed near Hudor village, approximately 12 kilometres away from Thakdas Cantonment,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in the statement. “The helicopter was on routine training flying when it developed a technical fault and crashed.”

The ISPR confirmed that all crew members on board embraced martyrdom in the incident.

The crew members were identified as Major Atif, who was the pilot in command, Major Faisal, the co-pilot, flight engineer Naib Subedar Maqbool, and crew chiefs Havaldar Jahangir and Naik Amir, according to the ISPR.

ISPR says MI-17 copter crash-landed due to technical fault

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of officers and soldiers in the Army Aviation helicopter crash near Thakdas Cantonment in Gilgit-Baltistan.

In their separate messages, the president and prime minister prayed for the elevation of martyrs’ ranks and extended heartfelt condolences to their families, praying for patience and courage for the bereaved.

Gilgit-Baltistan Governor Syed Mehdi Shah also expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, saying the entire nation was saddened by the martyrdom of the five “sons of the soil”. “In this hour of sorrow, the families of the martyrs are not alone, the entire nation shares their pain,” he said.

GB Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan, in a statement, said he had issued directions to impose an emergency at Chilas Hospital and ordered the immediate availability of medical staff.

He also expressed his condolences and paid tribute to the martyred personnel.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2025