ISLAMABAD:
The Pakistani military reported on Monday that three people had been killed when a Pakistan Navy helicopter crashed near Gwadar due to a mechanical failure.
A spokesman for the navy said the helicopter was conducting training flights over the port city of Balochistan.
According to a preliminary assessment supplied with AFP by a military source, the Sea King aircraft crashed during takeoff at around 10:00 am local time (0500 GMT) after experiencing an engine fire and losing its rear tail.
The naval spokesperson said the three fatalities were “possibly attributed to a technical malfunction.” They included two officers and one enlisted guy.
According to state-run PTV News, interim prime minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar mourned the loss of life and prayed for the families of the victims of the helicopter crash.
President Arif Alvi separately expressed his sadness over the tragedy.
Alvi praised the sacrifices made by the navy officers who were killed and offered prayers for their souls in a post on X (previously Twitter).
In August of last year, a helicopter belonging to the Pakistan Army Aviation was reported missing after losing touch with air traffic control (ATC) while on a mission to provide flood assistance in Lasbela, Balochistan.
The military’s media branch informed the public the next day that the plane had been located near the province’s coastline sector, and that no one on board had survived the accident.
On board the doomed Mi-17 helicopter were Lieutenant General Sarfaraz Ali, who commanded the 12th Corps; Major General Amjad Hanif; Brigadier Muhammad Khalid; Major Saeed Ahmed; Major M. Talha Manan; and Naik Mudassar Fayyaz.
Lt. Gen. Ali was in charge of relief efforts in the province of Balochistan, which was severely impacted by flash floods brought on by heavy monsoon rains.
