Norwegian and Philippines Ambassadors killed in helicopter crash Pakistan: Investigation Committee formed
Monitoring Desk: The Government of Pakistan has formed Investigation Committee to probe helicopter crashed resulting death of diplomats, reports Dispatch News Desk news agency.
The Committee headed by a Brigadier of Pakistan Army will investigate reasons of crash of Mi-17 helicopter of Pakistan Army helicopter that caused the death of Norwegian and Philippines Ambassadors along with wives of Malaysian and Indonesian ambassadors on Friday. Polish ambassador and Dutch Ambassador were among injured persons.
Latest information provided by authorities say that Black Box of helicopter has been found.
Pakistan has announced one-day mourning and flag was half-mast after announcement of national mourning.
Authorities called this eventuality as an accident while terrorist outfit Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) took the responsibility. Sources in Pakistan Army called statement of TTP as “absurd and ridiculous”.
It may be mentioned that Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif was also travelling in Northern Areas to launch development projects but his helicopter was turned back to Islamabad after this incident.
TTP released a statement in Urdu language and took the responsibility of the incident claiming that TTP also attacked helicopter of Prime Minister who was heading to Gilgit-Baltistan but he survived the attack.
According to details, diplomats were on their touristic trip to northern areas of Pakistan along with their wives on the invitation of government of Pakistan as part of initiative to promote tourism destinations among foreigners and diplomats.
Seven persons including above mentioned diplomats were killed when their army chopper Mi-17 crashed into a school in Nultar valley. Eyewitness told Dispatch News Desk that helicopter was on a low flight when it fell down on a school building that was empty. Witnesses said that Mi-17 was continuously losing elevation before hitting the building.
Leif H Larsen, the Norwegian envoy, and Domingo D Lucenario Jr of the Philippines and wives of the Malaysian and Indonesian ambassadors killed at spot while Polish ambassador Andrzej Ananiczolish and Dutch envoy Marcel de Vink were got serious injuries.
Mi-17 was carrying 17 people when it crashed, said Major-General Asim Bajwa who is official spokesman of Pakistan Army.
“The Chief of Pakistan Army General Raheel Sharif expressed his deepest grief over tragic loss of precious lives of Major Altamash,Major Faisal, Naib Subedar Zakir, and foreign diplomats and their families in a helicopter crash at Naltar, near Gilgit today”said a statement issued by Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR).
