Pakistan army helicopter crashes in Kashmir because of technical fault, killing all on board

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ISLAMABAD (AP) — A Pakistani army MI-17 helicopter crashed because of a technical fault in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Wednesday, killing all military personnel on board, the military said. The military didn't immediately disclose how many people were aboard the helicopter.

The crash occurred near Muzaffarabad, the regional capital, during an ongoing protest and strike called by the Joint Awami Action Committee, a recently banned alliance of various groups.

The military didn't suggest any link between the protest and the crash.

Witnesses said that the helicopter crashed shortly after takeoff from a helipad. Ambulances arrived at the scene and transported the victims to a nearby hospital.

“Rescue and recovery teams immediately reached the crash site,” the military said, adding that a board of inquiry had been ordered to determine the exact cause of the crash.

Residents in Muzaffarabad said that the helicopter was carrying an unspecified number of paramilitary Rangers deployed by the government for security duties in the region, where tensions have been high since the weekend, when members of an outlawed group attacked police and security forces, killing four personnel.

Witnesses said they saw smoke billowing from the crash site, and several ambulances were seen transporting the victims.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow over the crash, paying tribute to those killed. In separate statements, they conveyed sympathies to the victims' families.

Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, also expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life and extended condolences to the families of those killed, according to the statement.

Such crashes aren't uncommon in Pakistan. In September, an army helicopter on a routine flight crashed in northern Pakistan, killing two pilots and three technicians on board.