A Mi-17 helicopter of Pakistan Army Aviation crashed on Wednesday, killing everyone onboard.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media and public relations wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces, the incident happened during take-off near Muzaffarabad.
ISPR revealed that a “technical fault” that occurred during the take-off led to the crash.
The Mi-17 is a Russian-made medium-lift transport helicopter developed by the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant as an upgraded variant of the Mi-8. While it can carry up to 30 personnel, it is not clear how many were on board at the time of the crash.
“All personnel on board embraced shahadat (martyrdom). There were no survivors,” the ISPR statement said.
Rescue and recovery teams reached the spot immediately.
The Pakistan military has ordered a board of inquiry to ascertain the exact technical cause of the accident.
Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir “express deep grief over the tragic loss of precious lives and extend heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families”, the ISPR statement said.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow over the incident.
In September 2025, a helicopter crash due to a “technical fault” claimed the lives of five personnel in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Diamer district.
