5 dead as GB govt's helicopter crashes during test landing on new helipad

A helicopter of the Gilgit-Baltistan government carrying five people crashed in Diamer district’s Chilas area on Monday, killing all on board, officials confirmed.

Gilgit-Baltistan government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq said the aircraft crashed near Thor village during a test landing on a newly proposed helipad.

“Two pilots and three members of the technical crew were on board,” he added.

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Diamer Senior Superintendent of Police Abdul Hameed also confirmed the deaths, saying  that rescue teams and local police immediately reached the crash site and launched an evacuation operation.

While the police said the cause of the accident was still being investigated, the GB government attributed the tragedy to a “technical fault.”