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BAJAUR: A Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government helicopter crashed near Chengai Banda in Soki, killing five people on board, including two pilots, officials confirmed on Friday.
According to KP Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, the helicopter was en route to Bajaur for relief operations when contact was lost due to bad weather. The aircraft, identified as an MI-17, went down under unknown circumstances.
KP Chief Minister stated that the province’s second helicopter is currently engaged in rescue efforts in Buner district. Rescue teams have been dispatched immediately to the crash site.
The relief mission was part of emergency operations in Bajaur’s Salarzai tehsil, where flash floods last night destroyed multiple homes, washed away roads and bridges, and caused significant damage to infrastructure.
Rescue officials reported that so far, 21 bodies have been recovered from various incidents related to the flooding, while seven people remain missing. Three injured victims have been given first aid and shifted to hospital.
The provincial government has expressed deep grief over the loss of lives and vowed to provide all possible assistance to the families of the victims. Authorities have also ordered an investigation into the cause of the crash, while urging the public to cooperate with rescue teams in the ongoing relief operations.
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