A Pakistan Air Force (PAF) trainer aircraft crashed near the northwestern city of Mardan on Monday, killing both pilots on board and injuring three people. The aircraft was involved in the incident during a routine training sortie, reports said.
The PAF pilots killed were identified by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) as Flight Lt Muhammad Qasim Abdullah and the Pakistan Navy’s Lt Taha Abbasi. Mardan district is part of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
“A board of inquiry has been constituted by Air Headquarters to ascertain the cause of the accident,” the ISPR said.
Videos claiming to be that of the crash are doing the rounds on social media. These unverified videos show two-wheelers on a road being trapped by the flames caused by the crashed jet. Another video showed locals and health professionals at the crash site alongside numerous ambulances.
"Air Headquarters has constituted a board of inquiry to ascertain the cause of the accident, the statement said. Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir, along with the services chiefs and all ranks of the Pakistan Armed Forces, expressed deep grief over the tragic loss of precious lives and extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families," Pak-based Geo News said in a report.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari expressed condolences over the crash.
On June 10, the Pakistan Army had lost a Mi-17 helicopter to a crash near Muzaffarabad. The crash was reportedly caused due to a “technical fault” that occurred during the chopper’s take-off, ISPR, which is the military's media wing, had said.
