An MI-17 helicopter of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government crashed on Friday during a rescue and relief operation in flood-hit northern Pakistan, killing all five crew members on board, including two pilots.
Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur confirmed that the crash occurred in the Pandiyali area of Mohmand district due to severe bad weather conditions. The helicopter was carrying relief goods for residents of Bajaur district, one of the worst-affected areas by the ongoing monsoon disaster.
“An MI-17 helicopter of the provincial government, carrying relief goods for rain-affected areas of Bajaur, crashed in the Pandiyali area of Mohmand district due to bad weather,” Gandapur said in a statement. “Five crew members, including two pilots, were killed.”
Monsoon Rains Worsen Crisis in Northern Pakistan
The accident comes amid relentless monsoon rains that have triggered devastating landslides and flash floods across northern Pakistan. According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), at least 164 people have been killed in the last 24 hours, with 150 fatalities recorded in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province alone.
Authorities have launched emergency relief operations, but access to several remote mountainous areas remains challenging due to damaged roads and ongoing weather hazards.
