PESHAWAR: At least five people were killed when a rescue helicopter of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government crashed in the northwestern district of Mohmand on Friday, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur confirmed.
The MI-17 helicopter was assisting flood victims in Bajaur district when it lost communication due to severe weather conditions. Initially reported missing, the aircraft was later confirmed to have crashed during its mission.
Two pilots were among the five people who died in the crash. CM Gandpur has announced a day of mourning for tomorrow, with the national flag to fly at half-mast.
The helicopter was part of large-scale relief operations following devastating torrential rains, cloudbursts, and flash floods that had severely impacted Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).
In the KP districts of Battagram, Bajaur, and Mansehra alone, the extreme weather events have claimed at least 229 lives, injured more than 123 people, and left many others missing.
باجوڑ کے بارشوں سے متاثرہ علاقوں میں امدادی سامان لے جانے والا صوبائی حکومت کا ایم آئی 17 ہیلی کاپٹر خراب موسم کی وجہ سے کریش کر گیا۔ اس افسوسناک حادثے میں دو پائلٹ سمیت عملے کے پانچ افراد شہید ہوئے۔
وزیر اعلیٰ خیبر پختونخوا علی امین گنڈاپور— Government of KP (@GovernmentKP) August 15, 2025
*اہم ترین :: باجوڑ کے بارشوں سے متاثرہ علاقہ سالارزئی میں امدادی سامان لے جانے والا صوبائی حکومت کا ہیلی کاپٹر MI-17سے رابطہ منقطع ہوگیا ہے۔*
خراب موسم کی وجہ سے ضلع مہمند کے فضائی حدود میں ہیلی کاپٹر سے رابطہ منقطع ہوا ہے۔ علی امین گنڈاپور
— Government of KP (@GovernmentKP) August 15, 2025
Earlier, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur stated that every possible effort was made to re-establish communication with the aircraft before its crash was verified. Rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the crash site on his instructions.
Torrential rains and flash floods have destroyed 35 houses in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – seven completely and 28 partially. Bajaur and Buner are among the worst-affected districts, with landslides cutting off key access routes.
Rescue teams continue to struggle through treacherous terrain as the search and relief operations press on in multiple flood-hit areas.
