Pakistan military helicopter crash in Muzaffarabad kills at least 22

A Pakistani army Mi-17 helicopter crashed during take-off near Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, killing at least 22 military personnel. The aircraft went down on Wednesday near the regional capital, and videos showed thick black smoke rising from behind buildings after the impact. The military said the helicopter crashed because of a technical fault, and a board of inquiry has been ordered.

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The military's media wing said the crash happened during take-off and that all personnel on board were killed. Security sources told news agencies that the death toll was 22, although the army has not publicly confirmed that figure. Those reported killed included one colonel, two officers of major rank and 19 soldiers, according to the same sources.

The victims were given a formal military burial on Thursday, with flag-draped coffins carried by an artillery unit stationed in Kashmir. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the deaths, according to state-run reporting. Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and other ranks also expressed condolences, while rescue and recovery teams were sent to the site after the crash.

The incident matters because Pakistan Army Aviation helicopters are used for transport and logistics in difficult terrain, including high-altitude areas where road access can be limited. A fatal crash involving a military aircraft also raises questions about maintenance, technical oversight and operational safety. In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, where security conditions are sensitive, the crash has added to concern about the reliability of military transport in a region that depends heavily on air mobility.

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The crash took place during a period of heightened security in the region. Local authorities had recently imposed strict movement restrictions after violent clashes between security forces and a newly banned alliance of civil society groups, which left at least 11 people dead over the weekend. Officials rejected any link between that unrest and the helicopter disaster, saying the crash was caused by a technical fault rather than the local security situation.

Pakistan's army has long relied on Soviet-designed Mi-17 helicopters as transport workhorses for deployments in rugged northern terrain. The supplied material says the fleet has suffered occasional fatal accidents over the past decade, and that Pakistan has refurbished and overhauled 22 of its Mi-17 helicopters with assistance from the United States. What remains unclear is the exact number of people on board, the precise technical cause and whether any operational factor contributed.

The inquiry is expected to address those questions, but no timeline for its findings has been confirmed.

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