Two ambassadors are among seven people killed when a military helicopter crashed into a school in Pakistan’s mountainous north and burst into flames.
The envoys were part of a large group of foreign dignitaries being ferried to the inauguration of a ski resort chairlift in the town of Naltar on Friday. It was due to be attended by the Pakistani prime minister.
The army said four foreign passengers died, including Domingo D Lucenario, the Philippine ambassador, and the Norwegian envoy Leif H Larsen. The wives of the Malaysian and Indonesian envoys were also killed, along with the helicopter’s two pilots and a crew member.
Many of the other 17 people on board, including the Polish and Dutch ambassadors, were injured and had to be airlifted to a nearby military hospital.
Update Naltar:2 pilots,4 foreigners fatalities.(Ambs Philippine, Norway,wives of Malaysian& Indonesian Ambs).Injured-Polish&Dutch Ambs-5
— Gen(R) Asim Saleem Bajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) May 8, 2015
It was the worst accident in Pakistan involving foreign diplomats since the US ambassador Arnold Raphel died in the same plane crash that killed the former military ruler Muhmmad Zia-ul-Haq in 1988.
The foreigners were part of a large group of diplomats and spouses on a three-day tour of Pakistan’s northern areas, laid on by the government.
Although the Pakistani Taliban tried to claim responsibility for downing the helicopter, no witnesses reported any firing at the aircraft. The exact cause was not immediately clear but the defence ministry said initial reports suggested it may have been because of a technical fault.
Witnesses reported gusting winds as the group of four helicopters prepared to land in Naltar, in the Gilgit-Baltistan region. The passengers had been due to enjoy a lunch and watch a ceremony attended by the prime minister, Nawaz Sharif. But the helicopter suddenly spun, dropped and hit a school building.
“I was standing with a friend when I noticed a helicopter coming in to land,” said resident Irtiza Hussain. “I had only just seen the colours that told me it was a military helicopter when the next moment it fell. We heard a very horrible sound and we ran away, fearing the soldiers would start asking questions of us.”
The Pakistani Taliban spokesman Mohammad Khorasani sent an email to journalists claiming the group brought down the helicopter with an anti-aircraft gun. “The target for this attack was the prime minister,” the statement said.
Although Gilgit-Baltistan has been hit by sectarian terrorism it is not an area where anti-state militant groups such as the Pakistani Taliban have a foothold.
The high-altitude terrain ofthe Karakoram mountain range poses inherent risks for aircraft, including the Russian-designed MI-17 prized by countries in the region for its relative simplicity, ease of maintenance and ability to operate at high altitudes.
The regional trip had started on Friday morning with a flight to the regional capital Gilgit in a C-130 aircraft. They were then moved on to the four MI-17 helicopters for their trip to Naltar and tour of the region known for its spectacular scenery. Pakistan hopes the region will become a key part of the major land route the country would like to develop with China, its northern neighbour.
Sharif had been en route to join his guests when news of the tragedy prompted him to return to Islamabad. He “expressed deep grief and sorrow” and announced a day of mourning, his office said.
The Norwegian government expressed its “great sadness” at the death of Larsen, a 61-year-old ambassador described by the country’s foreign minister as “one of our very best and most experienced diplomats”.
Larsen had been working in the region for some years, having served as special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan before his appointment as ambassador to Islamabad last year.
The Philippine department of foreign affairs announced it was “deeply saddened” by the death of its ambassador, and his colleagues in Manila observed a two-minute silence.
How terrible!
Those copters aren’t cheap.
LOL