Rawalpindi, September 1, 2025: Five Pakistan Army personnel were martyred on Monday when a military helicopter crashed in Chilas, Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan, after developing a technical fault, the military’s media wing said.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement said the MI-17 helicopter went down near Hudor village, about 12 kilometers from Thakdas Cantonment, at around 10:00 am.
“The helicopter was on routine training flying when it developed a technical fault and crashed,” the statement said.
The martyred crew members were identified as Major Atif (pilot in command), Major Faisal (co-pilot), flight engineer Naib Subedar Maqbool, and crew chiefs Havaldar Jahangir and Naik Amir.
Diamer SSP Abdul Hameed earlier confirmed the incident, saying the helicopter had been attempting a test landing on a newly proposed helipad when it went down. He said police and rescue teams had reached the crash site and launched evacuation efforts.
Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan expressed grief over the loss of lives and directed Chilas Hospital to impose an emergency to ensure availability of medical staff. “The sacrifice of the martyrs of the helicopter crash is a source of pride for the nation,” he said in his condolence message.
The crash follows a string of helicopter accidents in Pakistan. Earlier this month, a rescue helicopter crashed in Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing two pilots and three crew members. Last year, at least six people were killed and eight others critically injured when a petroleum company’s helicopter crashed near the Shewa oil field in North Waziristan.
