ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Army helicopter that had gone missing on Monday evening in Balochistan crashed, leaving six military personnel martyred, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Tuesday.
The military chopper had gone missing as it was en route from Quetta to Karachi at around 5:30pm. The personnel in the chopper were overseeing the flood relief efforts in the southwest of the country. Above normal monsoon rains and deadly flooding have hit Pakistan hard this year, killing hundreds of people so far and wreaking havoc, particularly in Balochistan. The army has remained involved in rescue and relief efforts there.
The ISPR, in a statement, said that the wreckage of the unfortunate helicopter was found in Musa Goth, Windar, Lasbela. It said that the accident occurred due to “bad weather” as per the initial investigation. All six officers and soldiers, including Corps Commander Quetta Lieutenant General Sarfraz Ali, embraced martyrdom, the ISPR added. The monsoon flooding, which began in mid-June, has killed almost 500 people so far in Pakistan, with at least 149 dead in Balochistan alone.