Pakistan Army Mi-17 helicopter crashes near Muzaffarabad

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Army Aviation’s Mi-17 helicopter crashed near Muzaffarabad, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Wednesday.

Explaining the reason behind the crash, the military’s media wing said that a “technical fault” occurred during the chopper’s take-off.

“All personnel on board embraced Shahadat. There were no survivors,” the ISPR said.

The military’s media wing added that rescue and recovery teams immediately reached the crash site.

It added that a board of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the exact technical cause of the accident.

Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and all ranks of the army expressed deep grief over the tragic loss of precious lives and extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have expressed deep grief and sorrow over the Pakistan Army’s MI-17 helicopter crash near Muzaffarabad.

In separate statements, the president and the prime minister extended their heartfelt sympathies to the families of those martyred in the accident.

“The entire nation pays tribute to the great sacrifice of the martyrs and shares the grief of the bereaved families,” said President Zardari.

Paying tribute to the personnel who embraced martyrdom in the crash, PM Shehbaz said that the entire nation salutes the brave soldiers for their sacrifices.

Both leaders prayed for the elevation of the martyrs’ ranks in Jannah and for strength and patience for the bereaved families to bear the loss.

In the most recent such incident, five personnel were martyred in September 2025 when an army helicopter crashed in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Diamer district due to a technical fault.