A chartered helicopter crash in North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has resulted in the deaths of at least six people, with eight others injured.
The helicopter, operated by Mari Petroleum Limited, encountered technical difficulties near an oil field. According to the company’s spokesperson, the crash was unrelated to the region’s security conditions.
The Mi-8 helicopter provided personal transportation within the Shewa Waziristan block at the time of the accident. Following the crash, injured passengers were quickly transported to the nearby Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Thal, with the Pakistan Army coordinating the relief efforts.
It was reported that the helicopter encountered a malfunction shortly after takeoff, leading to a catastrophic tail rotor impact during an attempted emergency landing. Three Russian pilots were among the passengers.
In response to the crash, authorities have initiated a thorough investigation to ascertain the precise causes of the incident. This accident adds to a series of unfortunate helicopter crashes in Pakistan, including a 2022 incident in Gwadar, Balochistan, where a technical malfunction during a training exercise led to the deaths of two Pakistan Navy officers and a soldier. The Pakistan Navy confirmed these details and announced that an investigation had also been launched following that incident.
